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India's fourth bilateral ODI series win at home by a 5-0 margin should be seen through the lens of the team's defence of the ICC World Cup next year, in specific the roles given to players either just finding their feet in international cricket or returning from injury or filling in for first-choice names. 
 
Make no mistake - Sri Lanka were very poor in the series, their bowlers in particular lining up as fodder for India's batsmen on mostly docile surfaces, and their batsmen, barring <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/angelo-mathews/9001/9058">Angelo Mathews</a> and to a lesser extent <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mahela-jayawardene/9001/9003">Mahela Jayawardene</a>, massively under-performing. But in a World Cup season it is encouraging to see an experimental Indian side finish the job they started without losing much intensity. 
 
Through the series, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a> spoke of taking each game of this series as a stepping stone towards the 2015 ICC World Cup, particularly in testing out players in different roles to give them the confidence that they are wholly supported with an eye on next year’s big prize. He spoke of the team taking each match as a knock-out, and of learning to be "ruthless" to close out matches. 
 
Sample the margins of victory: by 169 runs, six wickets with 33 balls remaining, six wickets with 35 balls remaining, 153 runs and three wickets with eight balls on Sunday in Ranchi. Four big wins, fashioned by performances from individuals and collectively against a side that looked disgruntled from the time it departed from Colombo following West Indies' abrupt pull-out. The one match in which the batting didn’t click as a unit, Kohli stepped up with one of his finest centuries in a chase. Where his team-mates failed to be ruthless, Kohli was. 
 
The 26-year-old, leading India in MS Dhoni's absence, did his job well. The decision to take the batting Powerplay in the 24th over during the first ODI proved decisive, for it was in that five-over period that his team took the match away from Sri Lanka. He backed <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/akshar-patel/4001/31051">Akshar Patel</a> to bowl during the mandatory and batting Powerplays and this was a huge factor in the series win, and backed his rookie spinner with the right fields. Kohli also ensured <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ambati-rayudu/4001/31025">Ambati Rayudu</a> a spot at the World Cup by sending him in at No 3 in Ahmedabad, where the 29-year-old scored his maiden ODI century. 
 
Apart from his dynamic captaincy, Kohli also had a solid series with the bat, scoring 277 runs at an average of 69.25 with two fifties and a superb century to almost single-handedly chase 287 in the final game. Kohli's emphatic celebrations at hitting the winning six, with eight balls and three wickets left in Ranchi, and then as he acknowledged the crowd after picking up a stump, were stirring. Such form will, at the very least, send him to Australia with some confidence. 
 
India’s other main batsmen all scored runs, too. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a> reeled off 283 in three innings before he was rested. Rayudu's four innings at No 3 produced 223 runs while <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a>'s roaring comeback from injury with an astonishing 264 off 173 balls should earn him first dibs as opener alongside Dhawan in the World Cup ahead of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a>, who after stroking 111 in the series opener trailed off with scores of 8, 31, 28 and 2. The two wicketkeeper-batsmen tested in the series, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/wriddhiman-saha/4001/30016">Wriddhiman Saha</a> for three ODIs and <keyword id="6405247" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Robin-Uthappa">Robin Uthappa</keyword> for the last two, did not make strong statements to tilt the selectors’ votes either way for the World Cup. 
 
There were personal bests for a few players, of which five look certain for the World Cup. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a> beat his previous best returns with 4/34 in Cuttack; Rayudu scored his first ODI century in the second ODI; Akshar (3/40) and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/umesh-yadav/4001/28013">Umesh Yadav</a> (4/53) achieved career-best bowling performances in Hyderabad; and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/dhawal-kulkarni/4001/31006">Dhawal Kulkarni</a> smoothed over a shoddy outing in that match by taking 4/34 in the Kolkata drubbing. Rohit marked his first ODI in three months by scoring the highest individual innings in ODI history at Eden Gardens. 
 Rohit's freak innings aside, the big gains were the bowling of Akshar and the fact that Umesh, on the comeback from an injury break, did not break down or pick up a niggle. The rise of 20-year-old allrounder Akshar has been the story of the series. His left-arm spin accounted for 11 wickets in five matches, at an <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> rate of 4.61, and it was his bowling in the batting Powerplay all series that was instrumental in India’s 5-0 result. Akshar was unfortunate not be named Man of the Match in Hyderabad, where his 3/11 during the batting Powerplay sealed the series for India. 
 
Akshar controls the percentage shots and that ability resulted in some big wickets, and the manner in which he lands the ball outside off stump to bring out loose shots is a trait that could be very handy in Australia. Twenty20 cricket has forced spinners to experiment and Akshar is one of the best examples of how this can have a positive spin - no pun intended - because he varies his flight and pace without compromising too much on his length. He conceded over 40 just twice - at Eden Gardens where he conceded 51 in 43 balls and in Ranchi, where in the 48th of Sri Lanka's innings, Angelo Mathews swatted three sixes to give Akshar figures of 2/45 from his quota. His only two innings, at either ends of the series, were contrasting efforts that showed the value Akshar brings down the order: a four-ball 14 to get the total past 350 and 17 off 14 balls in match-clinching stand of 57 in 5.2 overs with Kohli. 
 
Akshar made rapid strides in the series, and the fact that <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a> was benched for the Cuttack and Hyderabad ODIs and bowled well after Akshar in Hyderabad is testament to Kohli's line of thought that fringe players need to feel that they belong. 
 
Umesh was quick and lively in each outing and consistently delivered breakthroughs in his first spell in all four games he played - three times in the first over of Sri Lanka’s innings, getting <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kusal-perera/9001/52007">Kusal Perera</a> each time. He took at least two wickets in each match and finished with ten wickets at an economy of 5.07, and though he still has to work on conceding wides in the death overs, that Umesh hustled and troubled the Sri Lankan batsmen all throughout was encouraging. Considering Ishant injured himself in his return series, having Umesh fit and feisty is crucial to India in Australia. 
 
Ishant did not feature in the series after leaving the field following his four overs in Hyderabad, adding to the injury list that comprises <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/varun-aaron/4001/30019">Varun Aaron</a>, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohammed-shami/4001/30030">Mohammed Shami</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohit-sharma/4001/26024">Mohit Sharma</a>. These are the frontline bowlers India will hope to have available for the World Cup, along with the rested <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a>. 
 
Injuries to Ishant and Aaron - themselves called up in the absence of the injured Shami and Mohit - opened up chances for Kulkarni and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Stuart Binny</a> and both were decent without being threatening. Kulkarni does not have the pace to consistently worry batsmen and appears to be easily rattled, while Binny's medium pace does not look like getting him a berth in the World Cup squad considering that pace is a must in Australia and New Zealand. The only player blooded in the series who did not do anything was legspinner <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/karn-sharma/4001/27046">Karn Sharma</a>, who is part of the Test squad to play in Australia. 
 
All in all, a good workout for an experimental Indian side in these five ODIs but how much these matches actually matter will only be judged if these players step up in Australia.

Kohli's Well-Oiled India Achieve Series Goals

On the eve of their second game at Ahmedabad, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/tillakaratne-mudiyanselage-dilshan/9001/9034">Tillakaratne Dilshan</a> had explained how a total in the region of 280-300 had become a norm in 50-over cricket, especially after the new field restrictions were put in place. His words were almost prophetic as after being restricted to 274, <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword> weren't able to control a rampaging Indian batting order that finished off the job with six wickets in hand and 5.3 overs to spare, going 2-0 up in the five-match series and moving ever so close towards taking an unassailable lead. 
 
The pre-match buzz centred mostly around local lad <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/akshar-rajeshbhai-patel/4001/31051">Akshar Patel's</a> first international match at his home ground, but even as he impressed with his accurate left-arm spin in the middle overs to stifle Sri Lanka, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ambati-thirupathi-rayudu/4001/31025">Ambati Rayudu</a> walked away with the honours near his adopted home - Baroda - where he plays his domestic cricket. He has mostly been confined to a back-up role in a star-studded line-up, but has made the most of the limited opportunities he has had so far, and returning not out on 121* (118b, 10x4, 4x6) after setting up the chase would have been doubly satisfying. 
 
 
 
India went into the game with three spinners on a Motera surface that looked like it would assist the medium pacers more, but <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli's</a> ploy worked wonders as Sri Lanka were kept to 274 for 8 in the day/night fixture. The visitors put in a better batting effort as compared to Cuttack, but <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/angelo-davis-mathews/9001/9058">Angelo Mathews</a> - whose 92* (101b, 10x4, 1x6) added some solidity to the total - would have been kicking himself for not capitalizing on what looked like a good toss to win. 
 India's run chase wasn't perfect in any way after Ajinkya Rahane was removed by Dhammika Prasad in the seventh over for 8, caught brilliantly by <keyword id="23015" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mahela-Jayawardene">Mahela Jayawardene</keyword> at slip on rebound after wicketkeeper <keyword id="22772" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kumar-Sangakkara">Kumar Sangakkara</keyword> had spilled a regulation chance. To their credit, Sri Lanka's pacers began well and Lahiru Gamage could have had Dhawan for 10 in the eighth over when the umpire turned down a frantic appeal for caught behind. 
 
Promoted to No. 3, Rayudu, along with <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a> consolidated for long periods before laying into the change bowlers, and Dhawan took the lead after reaching his seventh ODI half-century. As Dhawan accelerated by taking 16 off a Thisara Perera over, Rayudu continued to play the accumulator, and wasn't until the left-hander holed out to deep square leg off Seekkuge Prasanna for 79 (80b, 7x4, 1x6) did Rayudu decide to step it up. 
 Rayudu was particularly impressive against Sri Lanka's spinners, nimble on his feet as he took boundaries and sixes off them with ease, and exercised restraint when the bowlers were on top. After adding 122 with Dhawan, Rayudu combined with <keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Virat-Kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword> to add 116 more as the asking rate dropped significantly. Kohli (49, 44b, 2x4, 2x6) and <keyword id="14587" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Suresh-Raina">Suresh Raina</keyword> (14, 6b, 1x4, 1x6) fell in quick succession to Prasanna (3/53) towards the end, but Rayudu ensured India closed the chase without much drama. 
 
Mathews' innings in the afternoon had turned out to be pivotal, as with Kumar Sangakkara (61, 86b, 4x4) they added 90 vital runs that revived Sri Lanka's innings after being reduced to 64 for 3 in the 14th over. But unlike India who had decided to take their batting Powerplay early at Cuttack, Mathews and Sangakkara held back and only chose to go for it in the 32nd over, and lost three wickets during that period, losing Sangakkara, Prasanna and Ashan Priyanjan while adding just 30. 
 Umesh Yadav, who had begun with the wicket of Kusal Perera in the very first over of the innings, returned to break the threatening stand when Sangakkara smacked a full toss straight to Dhawan's at long on, while Akshar Patel delivered another impressive spell of 2/39 in front of cheering home fans. <keyword id="6359948" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravindra-Jadeja">Ravindra Jadeja</keyword>, who was included in place of the injured <keyword id="6370607" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Varun-Aaron">Varun Aaron</keyword>, went for plenty (1/64) but R Ashwin (2/49) and Patel ensured the wickets continued to tumble. 
 Yadav and <keyword id="11685" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ishant-Sharma">Ishant Sharma</keyword> bowled a tidy opening spell and kept things tight until Tillakaratne Dilshan and Sangakkara stuck up a breezy partnership, and Dilshan somewhat broke the shackles by belting four consecutive boundaries in Ashwin's first over. But Patel struck with the second ball of his spell when he bowled Dilshan in the next over, and Mahela Jayawardene could only muster 4 before scooping one straight to midwicket off Ashwin. Sri Lanka's stuttering innings was revived by Mathews and Dhammika Prasad (30*, 28b, 4x4) towards the end, as the pair put on 54 for the ninth wicket and played out their full quota of overs.

Ambati Rayudu's Maiden Ton Takes India 2-0 Up

Cuttack: India's poor showing with the white ball, especially in the death overs has been troubling the team as recently as the abandoned series against the West Indies, but their fast bowlers gave a favourable account of themselves during a comprehensive 169-run win over <keyword id="6355572" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sri-Lanka">Sri Lanka</keyword> in their first game of the series on Sunday. While the batsmen continued to dominate the performances with <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-madhukar-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a> hitting fluent centuries, it was the pace bowling triumvirate of <keyword id="149050" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Umesh-Yadav">Umesh Yadav</keyword>, <keyword id="6370607" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Varun-Aaron">Varun Aaron</keyword> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a> that impressed under lights and heavy dew at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. 
 
An early start to day/night fixtures on account of the dew prompted Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews to put the hosts in to bat, but an extremely good batting surface, coupled by rapid centuries from Rahane ​(111, 108b, 13x4, 2x6) and Dhawan ​(113, 107b, 14x4, 3x6) took out any advantage the chasing side may have had. The Indian openers added 231 runs in 35 overs, and despite their quick dismissals soon after, the middle order powered them to 363 for 5 in the first game of the five-match contest. 
 
In reply Sri Lanka were bowled out for 194 inside 40 overs, with Ishant picking up 4 for 34 - his best bowling figures in ODI cricket - to highlight an eye-catching performance from the Indian seamers, even though India would be sweating over the status of Aaron, who had hobbled off the field while bowling his fifth over with a thigh strain. While India impressed, Sri Lanka were left to rue their poor bowling performance and the batsmen's inability to put pressure on India's bowlers instead, with only <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/denagamage-proboth-mahela-de-silva-jayawardene/9001/9003">Mahela Jayawardene</a> (43, 36b, 6x4, 1x6) looking comfortable in the middle until hitting straight into Virat Kohli's hands off Akshar Patel. 
 The Sri Lankan batsmen would have expected some freebies especially early on with the new ball, but Yadav and Aaron began probingly, repeatedly beating the outside edges of both <keyword id="352871" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Upul-Tharanga">Upul Tharanga</keyword> and Tillakaratne Dilshan. India's pace bowling duo cranked up the pace from the start and the Sri Lankan openers struggled to time the ball. Dilshan fell to Yadav caught behind for 18 in the ninth over and Sri Lanka had failed to get a move on. <keyword id="22772" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kumar-Sangakkara">Kumar Sangakkara</keyword>'s wicket for 13 made matters worse, and the trend of regular wickets continued right until the last wicket. 
 Dhammika Prasad and debutant Lahiru Gamage, opening the bowling in the absence of the injured <keyword id="64162" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lasith-Malinga">Lasith Malinga</keyword> and Nuwan Kulasekara - not picked for this game - had earlier kept the Indian openers quiet as Gamage even slipped in a maiden over, but Rahane and Dhawan hit their groove soon after. They were also helped by two rare tough chances put down by Kumar Sangakkara, but aside from that they were seldom troubled on a batting paradise. 
 
Run-fests are common in limited overs contests played in India, but what was encouraging in terms of Virat Kohli's captaincy was India's decision to take the batting Powerplay early, allowing the openers to step up the scoring rate between overs 23 and 28. Dhawan and Rahane took 62 runs in those five overs as they capitalized on the fielding restrictions, as opposed to the usual ploy to take the Powerplay towards the latter stages of the game. 
 Suraj Randiv (3/78) and Ashan Priyanjan managed to pull the hosts back by sending back Rahane and Dhawan respectively, but the damage had already been done. <keyword id="14587" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Suresh-Raina">Suresh Raina</keyword>, playing his 200th one-day international, also completed 5000 ODI runs while scoring a brisk 34-ball 52, before being trapped leg before by Randiv. Quick wickets towards the end didn't allow India to reach that 400-run mark, but Kohli (22), Ambati Rayudu (27) and Akshar Patel (14*) ensured they weren't too far behind. 
 
Brief scores: India 363/7 in 50 overs (Dhawan 113, Rahane 111; Randiv 3/78) beat Sri Lanka 194 in 39.2 overs (Jayawardene 43; Ishant 4/34, Yadav 2/24, Akshar 2/24) by 169 runs

Ishant, Openers Power India To 169-Run Win

You can help me make a decision since I am caught between two emotions. Should I laugh or cry? 
 Before you ask me why, let me tell you that a couple of questions have been dominating the mind from the time the <keyword id="81008" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Board-of-Control-for-Cricket-in-India">Board of Control for Cricket in India</keyword> (<keyword id="6354756" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BCCI">BCCI</keyword>) made changes to the <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/teams/india/4001/home">Indian team's </a>coaching staff and sparked the laugh-or-cry debate in my mind. 
 
In the first place, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/news/England-vs-India-2014-Ravi-Shastri-to-be-in-charge-of-Indian-team-for-England-ODIs/articleshow/40390445.cms">installing </a>former India allrounder <keyword id="19692" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravi-Shastri">Ravi Shastri</keyword> as Director of the Indian team and sidelining the bowling and fielding coaches, Joe Dawes and Trevor Penny respectively, ahead of the limited-over series against England is an attempt to pull wool over our eyes rather than balm to hearts and souls wounded by dismal showing in three successive Tests. 
 
It is no secret that the Indian limited-overs team is more competitive than the Test team has been for a while now, especially in overseas series. Surely, no one needs reminding that <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">Mahendra Singh Dhoni's</a> team has won six and lost 14 of 28 overseas Tests. Even more surely, it is the Test side that is in greater need of guidance than the squad that plays white-ball cricket. 
 Since batsmen M Vijay, <keyword id="13839" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gautam-Gambhir">Gautam Gambhir</keyword> and <keyword id="75027" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cheteshwar-Pujara">Cheteshwar Pujara</keyword>, pace bowlers <keyword id="11685" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ishant-Sharma">Ishant Sharma</keyword>, Pankaj Singh and <keyword id="6370607" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Varun-Aaron">Varun Aaron</keyword> as well as reserve wicketkeepers Wriddhiman Saha and Naman Ojha have returned home ahead of the ODIs, and a fresh crew has flown in, it will be unfair to compare the work of the coaches who have been given a break with that of the new staff. 
 
Besides this <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/news/India-vs-England-ODI-series-My-job-is-to-find-out-what-went-wrong-and-file-a-report-says-Ravi-Shastri/articleshow/40492231.cms">clumsy attempt</a> to pull wool over the eyes of fans of Test cricket, the appointment of <keyword id="945851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Premier-League-Governing-Council">Indian Premier League Governing Council</keyword> member Shastri as Director of the Indian team and let him pick coaching staff for the ODI team in England comes across as a classic case of not looking beyond the BCCI's favourite child, <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword> and an erstwhile favourite, the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Assistant coach Sanjay Bangar and fielding coach R Sridhar both earned their place in the spotlight thanks to the run of <keyword id="13883" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kings-XI-Punjab">Kings XI Punjab</keyword> in IPL 2014 while B Arun, ostensibly the bowling coach now, has been with the NCA for many years now. Of course, Sridhar has also been in the NCA and, like Arun, worked with junior India teams. 
 
If critics of the IPL have blamed the inadequate technique of the Indian batsmen against the swinging and seaming cricket ball on IPL, its proponents have cited improved fielding - not slip catching, for sure - standards as a result of the IPL. It does look like everyone, critic and defendant alike, have come to regard the IPL as the be all and end all of Indian cricket. 
 
Shastri's interview with ESPNcricinfo's Nagraj Gollapudi – "I had no reservations about the job. I insisted on the coaching staff I wanted. I went (for domestic Indian coaches) because I felt they can contribute," he said – is a confirmation that the BCCI and its contracted commentators do not pay attention to first-class cricket in the country. 
 Karnataka coach J <keyword id="26593" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arun-Kumar">Arun Kumar</keyword> would surely have done something right for the team to win not only the Ranji Trophy after 15 years but also the Irani Cup and Vijay Hazare Trophy titles in 2013-14, a rare hat-trick of titles in a season. Does his missing out on being with an IPL team have anything to do with his not landing an assignment with any Indian team? 
 
The IPL can run on its own steam and does not need any molly-coddling from the BCCI, except to ensure that it is run in a transparent manner and stays clean. These attempts to prop up the IPL as only a harbinger of good cricket because it lets domestic players rub shoulders with international stars are little more than dramatic. 
 
Perhaps the real solution lies in ensuring that the Test players do not show up in domestic cricket only sporadically. As a Ranji Trophy star pointed out, those who are making so much noise about the quality of pitches in domestic cricket have not been looking at the tracks in Ranji Trophy where seam and swing bowlers pose severe challenges to batsmen. Is there no cricket beyond the IPL? Are there no coaches beyond NCA?

BCCI Forgets That There Is More To Indian Cricket Than Just IPL

In cricketing parlance it's often said that teams should not change winning combinations because more often than not it breaks the momentum. Come to think of it, India's travails began in England only when they made changes to the winning eleven of the second game at Lord's. 
 
After the high of the Lord's win, their first at the hallowed ground in 28 years, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a> and the team management left out <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Stuart Binny</a>, whose 78 in the second innings of the first Test at Trent Bridge blew away the clouds of defeat hovering over the team. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a>, the hero at Lord's for his career-best 7 for 74 in the second innings, also had to miss out the Southampton Test on account of an ankle injury. While leaving Binny out was the team's decision, Ishant's unavailability couldn't be helped. 
 
In hindsight, those two changes changed India's series. The men who replaced Binny and Ishant were batsman <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a> and medium pacer <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a> and both had an outing to forget. Rohit made 28 and 6, while Pankaj returned 0 for 146 and 0 for 33 as India lost the match by 266 runs. 
 At Old Trafford, India this time made three changes, bringing in <keyword id="13839" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gautam-Gambhir">Gautam Gambhir</keyword>, R Ashwin and <keyword id="6370607" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Varun-Aaron">Varun Aaron</keyword> in places of <keyword id="17805" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shikhar-Dhawan">Shikhar Dhawan</keyword>, Rohit and Mohammed Shami. Things went from bad to worse and they were thumped by an innings and 54 runs inside three days. Clearly, those five changes didn't prove to be propitious for <keyword id="6397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhoni">Dhoni</keyword>. 
 
Having that in mind, now the question arises whether India should make changes once again for the fifth and final encounter at The Oval starting Friday. Gambhir had a horrible outing at Old Trafford; offspinner Ashwin, even though he did well with the bat, failed to take any wicket. However, Aaron impressed a lot, showing plenty of pace and his wicket of Moeen Ali with a vicious inswinger will stay as one of the moments of the series. 
 
The suspects this time are Gambhir, Ashwin and Pankaj, who despite breaking his wickets drought at Old Tafford, failed to inspire any confidence. Medium-pacer Ishwar Pandey and wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha, who piled on the runs for India A against Australia A recently with scores of 219, 101 and 110 in two matches and was drafted into the squad as a replacement for the injured Wriddhiman Saha, are the only players in the squad not to have got a game yet. Should India hand them Test debuts at The Oval or, having learnt from their experiences in the series, they stick to the team that played at Old Trafford are questions that must be bothering Dhoni a great deal. 
 
By the look of things at present, sadly, India aren't likely to be going into the match unchanged. The cases of Pankaj and Gambhir need to be looked at with a magnifying glass. They looked very poor in the Old Trafford defeat. But then some would argue what's the guarantee that their replacements would revive the team. That the damage has already been done with the tourists trailing 2-1 in the series and bringing back Dhawan, Rohit, Shami or Binny is unlikely to do any good to the team. 
 
But in view of the proverbial fact that losing squads are kept getting tinkered with, a couple of changes look to be on the cards. There is no update on Ishant's fitness but he gets fit in time, Pankaj will have to go. Even if Ishant is not fit, Pandey should be considered on the basis of his accuracy and better swinging skills. Dhawan should be brought back in place of Gambhir for one simple reason that Gambhir looks to be way past his prime, and if the team management has to pick between two uncertainties, it should go for the younger and futuristic option that is Dhawan, who not long ago looked in good touch in New Zealand. The third suspect, Ashwin, should be retained considering he can contribute with the bat and looking at the team's current batting crisis playing him won't be a bad idea. 
 
The Oval Test seems to Dhoni's last chance at redemption and he can't afford to fail this time. Another loss or probably even a draw will certainly be the end of his captaincy. The selectors can't keep turning a blind eye to the fact that he has lost 12 Tests against one win outside the subcontinent in the last three years. Hopefully, Dhoni manages to assemble an eleven that brings an end to India's predicament.

To Change Or Not To Change, That's The Question For Dhoni

It's just getting worse and worse for India. After the ignominy of Southampton, they have yet again succumbed to a crushing defeat against England at Manchester. They now trail England 1-2 in the five-match series. Gocricket.com takes a look at how each member of the Indian team fared at Old Trafford. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay </a> It seems ages ago when <keyword id="57265" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Murali-Vijay">Murali Vijay</keyword> impressed everyone with his defiant knocks in the first two Tests at Trent Bridge and Lord's. At Manchester he scored a total of 18 runs including a duck in the first innings. He was at the receiving end of a peach of a delivery from James Anderson in the first innings and in the second, fell to Chris Woakes. His slump has come at a wrong time. Among all the specialist Indian batsmen on the tour, he has been one of the two brightest spots. With the other openers failing, he needs to get his touch back if India hope to do well in the fourth Test. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gautam-gambhir/4001/4043">Gautam Gambhir </a> Questions were raised when Gambhir was selected for the England tour as a reserve opener. Those questions were put to rest when the first choice opener in <keyword id="17805" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shikhar-Dhawan">Shikhar Dhawan</keyword> failed. The reasons, for which he lost his place in the national side, seem to be valid even today. A batsman of his repute, on his return to international cricket after almost two years, should perform but he could muster only 22 runs in two innings. Both the times he fell to short deliveries. In the first innings, his dismissal brought back memories of the 2011 tour of England when he repeatedly was caught in the slip cordon and his second dismissal left everyone frustrated as he needlessly gloved one from Anderson to be caught by the wicketkeeper. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a> He was the second Indian batsmen to be out for a duck in the first dig after <keyword id="52757" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Stuart-Broad">Stuart Broad</keyword> lured him to edge one to Chris Jordan in the slips. In the second innings, he was a bit unlucky to be given out lbw as replays showed the ball from Moeen Ali was missing the leg stump. He managed 17. His technique on seaming, pacy tracks is under intense scrutiny after yet another failure. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a> 
Seems Kohli is not willing to learn and improve. People have lost count of the number of times his weakness against outside off deliveries has been exploited England bowlers. He is the designated superstar of a star-studded Indian line-up. But where is that performance? In both the innings, Anderson got the better of him. He scored a duck in the first and managed seven in the second before pushing at a delivery that went safely into the hands of Ian Bell at second slip. Someone needs to tell him that he need not go after every delivery, especially those outside off. Let better sense prevail. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane </a> 
Smile is infectious. Replace 'smile' with 'failure' for Rahane. When everyone around him seems to be hell bent on playing loose, rash strokes, could he have avoided playing one of his own? Yes. But he couldn't. In the first innings with his team in dire straits, he gifted Chris Jordan his wicket after scoring 24 in a partnership with captain Dhoni that gave a flickering hope of a recovery. In the second, another loose shot put him on the way back to the dressing room after he had managed a single. All we can hope is that his failure at Manchester is just a one-off incident. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a> 
Dhoni's knock of 71 runs in the first innings will be counted among his best in Tests. When everything around him crumbled, he was the lone warrior before he pulled one that ended his fight. In the second, he again saved India from the ignominy of being bowled out for double figures. However, his wicketkeeping and captaincy was questionable. Not utilising bowlers effectively apart from his performance behind the stumps is not helping the team. After the low of Southampton, it was expected that he would rejig things. But, under his watch, India slipped further into the abyss. Lord's is a distant memory now for him and the Indian fans. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a> 
Anderson has gained much out of his spat with India allrounder Jadeja. The Englishman has flourished. On the other hand, Jadeja's only significant contribution was trapping Anderson after being meted out a similar treatment by the pacer in India's first innings. He took one wicket in the entire match and scored four runs including a 14-ball duck in the first innings. His pairing with R Ashwin on Indian tracks is deadly. In England where Moeen Ali has trapped India in a web of spin, he has been nothing short of ordinary. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a> 
Bhuvneshwar continues to toil hard and he is reaping rewards for his efforts. He seems to be the only member of the Indian team who is aware of his limitations and is taking the most out of his abilities. He took three wickets at Manchester where England batted once. Two of those (Sam Robson and Bell) were a result of some wonderful bowling. He has lost his 'midas touch' with the bat as scores of 0 and 10 would suggest. But he cannot be expected to hide the failures of the batsmen every single time. His job is to bowl, not score runs. Unfortunately he has been forced to do the additional job as well and the effect is the dip in his intensity. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/varun-aaron/4001/30019">Varun Aaron</a> 
Back in the team after a gap of almost three years, Aaron impressed with his lively pace. He bowled consistently above 140 km/hr and occasionally troubled the batsmen with his bounce. The delivery with which he cleaned up Moeen Ali was one of the few moments to cherish for India from the Test. He picked 3/97 in 26 overs and made an impressive return, although straying away on occasions. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">R Ashwin</a> 
Include Ashwin and things will get better was the mantra after the loss at Southampton for India. He was selected and bowled well but went wicketless even as his counterpart (Moeen) ended with four scalps. However, it was his batting that was much talked about. He put to shame the Indian top order in both the innings. In the first his 40 runs took the team past 150 runs and he followed it with an unbeaten 46 which was the highest score by any Indian batsman in the second dig. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a> 
His painful wait for a wicket finally ended on the third day when he removed Joe Root for 77. He, again, started well but his workhorse attitude didn't translate into anything significant. On a pitch where England bowlers murdered Indian batting, his efforts at best can be summed up as below par. He bowls well but not good enough that will force the selectors to give him an extended run. Mind you – he is bowling in helpful conditions and not on lifeless subcontinent tracks. If <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a> gets fit, Pankaj, who took two wickets in the Test, will surely sit out at The Oval.

A Report Card Of India's Defeat At Manchester

England asserted their supremacy on the opening day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford as they closed on 113/3 after <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-broad/3001/3067">Stuart Broad</a>'s 6 for 25 bundled India out for 152. India equalled the record of six ducks in a Test innings and despite a gritty half-century from <keyword id="16561" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="skipper">skipper</keyword> <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a>, the Indian batting surrendered to some quality seam bowling from the Englishmen. 
 
England skipper <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/alastair-cook/3001/3056">Alastair Cook</a> could not have chosen a better toss to lose after his Indian counterpart Dhoni opted to bat on a lively Old Trafford pitch, which as it would turn out, have more than just a handful for the medium-pacers. Amid all the speculation surrounding the Playing XI heading into Manchester, India rang in three changes. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gautam-gambhir/4001/4043">Gautam Gambhir</a> replaced the out-of-form <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a>; <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">Ravichandran Ashwin</a> was selected in place of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a> and the much-talked about <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/varun-aaron/4001/30019">Varun Aaron</a> was picked ahead of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohammed-shami/4001/30030">Mohammed Shami</a>. 
 
Dhoni's decision backfired as Broad and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/james-anderson/3001/3040">James Anderson</a> (3 for 46) shredded India to 8 for 4 inside the first six overs giving England their best start of the series. Comeback man Gambhir's (4) stay at the middle was short-lived after he fended at a length ball to <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/joe-root/3001/73004">Joe Root</a> at gully from Broad. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay</a> was the next to go for a duck, seven balls later to Anderson. Vijay, who has been good at leaving balls outside his off-stump in this series, played and nicked to skipper Cook at first slip. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a> failed to impress yet again and went without troubling the scorers. While Kohli tickled an exceptional outswinger from Anderson, Pujara edged a full-length delivery from Broad to a diving Chris Jordan at third slip leaving India reeling at 8 for 4. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a> - who has by far looked India's best batsman on the tour - and Dhoni weathered the storm and decided to leave more balls. Both gutted it out and strung together an dogged 50-run stand. Once Anderson and Broad were taken out of the attack, run-scoring became comparatively fluent and easier. Jordan, however, ended the promising stand with the wicket of Rahane for 24 in the penultimate over of the session. 
 
India started the second session losing the wicket of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a> (0) to his 'friend' Anderson in the second over after the lunch interval. Anderson set the trap nicely following back-to-back away going deliveries with an inswinger that jagged back in and caught the Indian allrounder stone dead in front of the stumps. At 63 for 5, Ashwin joined his skipper in the middle and the pair batted with precaution to slowly take India forward. Ashwin's near-clean batting technique played a perfect second-fiddle to Dhoni, who at the other end, took calculated risks and kept the scoreboard ticking. 
 
Ashwin had a slice of luck on 25, when he was dropped by wicketkeeper <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/jos-buttler/3001/3111">Jos Buttler</a> off Anderson in the 35th over. He and Dhoni put together 66 runs for the seventh wicket before the offspinner mistimed a pull off Broad to <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/sam-robson/3001/84620">Sam Robson</a> at deep-square leg. Ashwin's flamboyant 42-ball 40 was and laced with three fours and a six over deep fine leg which launched a counter-attack on England. Broad then cleaned up <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a> two overs later for his 12th five-wicket haul in Tests. His dismissal exposed the Indian tail which managed to survive just seven more overs. Dhoni played a few unorthodox shots and reached his 32nd half-century with a four and casually edged and pulled his way to 71 before eventually finding the fielder at deep-square leg. 
 
England's hopes of a good beginning was tarnished by Robson - who battled for 24 balls and scored six runs. Bhuvneshwar once again removed him - third time in the series, castling his off stump with an inswinger. Cook's twin fifties at Southampton seemed to have done him a world of good - he cracked two fours off Pankaj - but against the run of play he fell to his favourite shot, a pull off Aaron for 17. Southampton centurions <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ian-bell/3001/3048">Ian Bell</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gary-ballance/3001/73003">Gary Ballance</a> took over and played with authority. Both took a specific liking towards Pankaj, who conceded 50 runs off his 11 overs. 
 
With run-scoring becoming easy with every over bowled, Dhoni introduced Ashwin in the 21st over. Bell welcomed him by dancing down the wicket and hitting him over his head for the first six of the English innings. Bell pounced on anything slightly short and made most of anything offered on his pads. Ballance and Bell added 77 runs before Aaron would strike again, this time trapping the dangerous Ballance (87 balls, 4x6) leg before for 37 in the final over of the day. Nightwatchman Jordan (0) and Bell (45) were at the crease when stumps were drawn.

England Build After Broad Dismantles India

With just a few hours left in the final selection of the squad for the <keyword id="22177" type="SPORT" weightage="100" keywordseo="world-cup">World Cup</keyword>, cricket fans across the country are waiting anxiously to know which 15 players will be given the responsibility to represent India in the World Cup 2015. The biggest question in the minds of cricket lovers is: Will Yuvraj Singh make it to the final 15?

	 

	As the World Cup will be played in Australia and New Zealand, the selectors need to choose players who can adjust well to the drastically different playing conditions. Experience will count a lot as players will have to handle totally different situations.<o:p></o:p>

	<o:p> </o:p>

	This might be a blessing in disguise for Yuvraj Singh, who was a star performer in the last World Cup, wherein he also won the man of the series. He had scored 362 runs and taken 15 wickets. However, what could against him is the fact that he did not play even single ODI in 2014. He had last played an ODI in December 2013. <o:p></o:p>

	 

	Mahendra Singh <keyword id="6397" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dhoni">Dhoni</keyword>, who recently retired from Test cricket, is likely to be retained as the captain. The top order is likely to be chosen among Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, <keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Virat-Kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword> and Suresh Raina. <o:p></o:p>

	 

	In the bowling department, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are likely to get a call, while there would be a tough fight among the pacers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron. <o:p></o:p>

World Cup Squad To Be Announced Today; Yuvraj Singh’s Selection Keenly Watched

Following an embarrassing 3-1 defeat to England, Gocricket.com has the Indian players' report cards ready here. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a>: 5/10 
 Dhawan was India's highest run-scorer in the two-Test series against New Zealand with 215 from four innings. However, the Delhi batsman couldn't create the same impact against England: he managed 122 runs at an average of 20 with a highest of 37. His technical flaws were widely exposed by <keyword id="80896" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="James-Anderson">James Anderson</keyword>, who gave Dhawan a tough time outside the offstump. While he looked good in patches during his innings of 29 at Trent Bridge, 31 at Lord's and 37 at The Ageas Bowl, he couldn't convert them into anything productive. Most of his dismissals came in the initial part of the innings which dented India's hopes of getting off to a decent start. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay</a>: 7/10 
 
Dhawan's opening partner got off to a start few imagined him to. His 146 at Trent Bridge was his fourth century in Tests and first in England. He followed it up with consecutive half-centuries - 52 in the second innings and 95 at Lord's - but lost his bearings thereafter. In the next seven innings, Vijay made just 109 runs and his average - which at one point in the series touched 80 - dropped to 40.20. He wasn't troubled much at Trent Bridge and Lord's but in Southampton, Vijay was unlucky to play on and get run out. It was at Old Trafford and The Oval that he looked out of sorts, throwing his bat at away-going deliveries and flummoxed by those that darted in. A decent series all in all, but it could have been better. Considering the way his team-mates performed, Vijay was one of the few positives for India. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Gautam Gambhir</a>: 0/10 
 
Returning after an 18-month absence, Gambhir showed so signs of improvement. He was the most unconvincing among the Indian batsmen. His replacing Dhawan for the last two Tests raised many eyebrows. He remained persistent with his tendency to poke at balls outside offstump and looked like a sitting duck in each innings. An edge to gully, a run-out and a caught behind while trying to leave the ball, such dismissals indicate that Gambhir may have played his last Test for India. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a>: 4/10 
 
Pujara has endured one of the toughest series of his young career. He started off well with scores of 38, 55, 28 and 43 but Southampton, much like it did for India, led to his downward spiral. He had problems with the incoming delivery and even his rock-solid forward defence couldn't come to his rescue. Pujara was out caught behind on six occasions and fell prey to Moeen Ali's offspin twice. With a total of just 222 runs in 10 innings, India's No 3 looked very shaky. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a>: 2/10 
 
The first real forgettable tour for India's most prolific batsman of the current era. The fact that Kohli couldn't score even a single half-century in 10 innings speaks volumes about his failure. With 134 runs at an average of 13.40, statistically he is India's worst batsman on tour. James Anderson had his number throughout the series, dismissing him four times. Kohli was twice out without troubling the scorers and the cobwebs in his head were clearly visible. Twice he was dismissed offering no shot - bowled by Liam Plunkett at Lord's and out lbw to Chris Jordan at The Oval. 
 
Apart from his batting, his goof-ups in the slip cordon added to Kohli's woes. A gloomy series like this can be excused, especially after the string of success he has experienced, but Kohli must realise that a major chunk of India's batting revolves around him. His getting back among the runs is crucial if India are to have any chances in Australia later this year. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a>: 7/10 
 
Another example of a batsman who squandered away a decent beginning. Rahane, in only his second Test in England, registered his name on the Lord's Honours Board, courtesy a match-winning century on day one to revive India splendidly. Two fifties followed in Southampton but the promising run was brought to a halt in the last two Tests with Rahane managing 21, 4, 0 and 1. He showed a lot of promise with 299 runs at 33.22 and but the team needs more from him. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Stuart Binny</a>: 2/10 
 
Much was said about Binny after his selection in the 18-member squad, and as it would turn out, he was another hyped-up player. His only substantial knock came at Trent Bridge - a match-saving 78 in the second innings. He played a horrible shot in the first innings at Lord's and his credentials of an allrounder also took a big blow as he struggled with the ball and went wicketless in all three Tests he got. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a>: Batting 7.5/10, Captaincy 5/10 
 While <keyword id="6397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhoni">Dhoni</keyword> the batsman raised his game in England, Dhoni the captain was another major setback in away matches. With four half-centuries in five matches, the India skipper had one of his best overseas series. His 82 at Trent Bridge was followed by 50 in Southampton where his biggest slip was falling early on day four when India needed him to stay in the middle. At Old Trafford and The Oval, his innings of 71 and 82 were one of only three Indian scores in double digits as the rest of the batsmen crumbled around him. 
 Dhoni's captaincy though looked lifeless yet again. His five-bowler strategy never really came to India's aid, and the decision to ignore Ishwar Pandey raised questions. After leading India to their fifth consecutive overseas series loss, this might mark the end of the road for Dhoni the <keyword id="195040" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Test-captain">Test captain</keyword>. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a>: 5/10 
 
Despite the fact that he and Anderson kept on getting each other out, Jadeja's only meaningful contribution came in the second Test at Lord's, where his counter-attacking fifty set the game up in favour of India. With the ball, he was inconsistent. His wickets either were down to poor shots or the need for quick runs. Ian Bell and Jos Buttler took him apart in Southampton, where he was either too short or generous down the legside. Jadeja remains a strong contender at home but a doubtful starter for away matches. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a>: 1/10 
 
Our very own flat-track bully was drafted into the team at The Ageas Bowl in place of Binny and what did he do? Played a silly shot to Ali in the first innings and fell early on day five to Anderson in the second. Might be a cinch to play on Indian wickets, but his modes of dismissal are only worsening his case of playing abroad. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">Ravichandran Ashwin</a>: 6/10 
 
Ashwin managed to surprise in a role-reversal of sorts. While at Old Trafford he impressed one and all with his batting, The Oval saw Ashwin get back among the wickets. He forged a 66-run partnership with Dhoni for the seventh wicket in the fourth Test and played textbooks shots. Ashwin played second fiddle to Dhoni, who at the other end took calculated risks. Ashwin scored 46 in the second innings as India went down by an innings and 54 runs. At The Oval, Ashwin finally took his first wicket since 2012 and his 3/72 kept things tight. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a>: 8/10 
 
The conditions in England were supposed to ideal for Bhuvneshwar's style of bowling and he proved the theory right with figures of 5/82 and 6/82 in the first two Tests. But as soon as the English batsmen came into their own, the Uttar Pradesh bowler was a tired figure out in the middle. Once the batsmen negotiated with his early movement, scoring became easy. And even though in the third and fourth Test he took 3/101 and 3/75, Bhuvneshwar lacked support at the other end. 
 
To see him bat nicely in the series was a pleasant surprise. Scores of 63, 58 and 52 in the first three innings of the series were an added bonus for the team. With 19 wickets at 26.63 and 247 runs at 27.44, Bhuvneshwar had a series to remember. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a>: 7/10 
 
Ishant was supposed to spearhead the Indian attack in England and many believed that the win at Lord's - where he took a career best 7/74 - had finally established Ishant as India's premier fast bowler. But an unlikely injury after the historic triumph was a case of bad luck for India. And when Ishant came back, it was fairly evident that he wasn't the same bowler who etched his name of on the Lord's Honours Board. At The Oval, he was predictably short and Stuart Broad took the attack to him despite batting with a broken nose. Ishant looked a bit ragged in his 4/96. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/varun-aaron/4001/30019">Varun Aaron: 5/10</a> 
 
The Jharkhand fast bowler made a return to Tests after December 2011 with plenty of calls for his inclusion for the fourth Test, in Ishant's absence. And even though he dismissed Ali with a peach of a delivery and broke Broad's nose, Aaron was mostly erratic, wasting energy on bowling far too many short balls. He bagged five wickets at an average of 50 - which included him conceding runs at over five an over at The Oval. But there is no doubt that he caught a few eyes with his pace. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a>: 4/10 
 Known as a workhorse in domestic circuit, Pankaj bowled with a lot of heart in Southampton after getting a debut in place of an injured Ishant. He was unlucky twice after Jadeja put down <keyword id="9234" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alastair-Cook">Alastair Cook</keyword> in the first session followed by an umpiring error that reprieved Bell. Pankaj finally tasted success after toiling for 47 overs in Southampton and almost 23 overs in Manchester, where he bowled bad balls too frequently and went over four an over. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohammed-shami/4001/30030">Mohammed Shami</a>: 2/10 
 
Shami bowled with good pace in three Tests but was overall ordinary. His five wickets in the series came every 115 deliveries and at the cost of 73.20 runs. But with the next series taking place against the West Indies, he might return on the basis of what he did against them last year.

Indian Players' Report Cards After England Debacle

It is a good wager that paceman Varun Aaron and off-spinner <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">R Ashwin</a> will have had to deal with conflicting thoughts of having been left out of the Indian XI for the third Investec Test against England at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. They would have been both disappointed and at once relieved that they did not have to overcome the challenge of having to bowl on a flat deck. 
 
In <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a>'s absence with an ankle injury, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</a> should have gone in with someone who could intimidate England and that would have been Varun Aaron. His fellow-Jharkhand player has the pace to take the pitch out of the equation. The Indian captain could have used him in short spells on a track that offered the seamers little assistance. 
 
Ashwin's guile - way ahead of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra </a><a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Jadeja</a>'s - could have tested England's left-handers <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/alastair-cook/3001/3056">Alastair Cook</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gary-ballance/3001/73003">Gary Ballance</a> who shared a 158-run stand for the second wicket. But Dhoni's mind seems made up against including the off-spinner in his plans. Did India pay for that? Only time will answer that question over the next few days. 
 
To be fair, there is no denying that the strapping <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a> did a good fist of bowling within his limitations but India needed someone who could be among the wickets on a track like this. In <keyword id="11685" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ishant-Sharma">Ishant Sharma</keyword>'s absence, it had to be Aaron. He has the pace to consistently overcome a flat deck and harry the batsmen into making mistakes. 
 
It was tragic that India's reluctance to position the slip fielders better came in the way of Pankaj claiming his maiden Test wicket in his opening spell. It can only be hoped that India will learnt from the mistakes and return on Monday with a more aggressive intent. That will quash any aspirations that Cook and his men have of pulling one back and levelling the series. 
 It was even more tragic that Pankaj's appeal for leg before against Ian Bell in the final session was turned down by Australian umpire Rod Tucker. Well as Pankaj bowled, the fact is that India did not pick enough bowlers who would take 20 wickets in this Test. It is clear that India have preferred to wait until they get to <keyword id="2023" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Old-Trafford">Old Trafford</keyword> to make a push to notch up another win. 
 
In picking <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a> ahead of off-spinner Ashwin and <keyword id="258548" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Stuart-Binny">Stuart Binny</keyword>, Dhoni has sought to bolster the batting in a bid to ensure that the 1-0 lead can be protected. It is clearly a defensive tactic, aimed at improving India's specialist batsmen's chances of keeping the England bowlers at bay for long enough to be able to protect the 1-0 lead. 
 
With each passing over, it was becoming clear that the Indian batsmen will have to come up with a strong response to ensure that the threat of the follow-on is averted and that the challenge of having to bat last on a track that does not appear to be the sort that will deteriorate much. The ball, as the cliche goes, is in the Indian batsmen's court. 
 
After the first day when England made 247 for two, India can only hope that their batsmen will deal with pressure when it is piled on them in the coming days. There can be no doubting that Dhoni could have given his limited attack better fields to challenge England, even on the flat pitch that held little by way of encouragement for the bowlers.

Did Dhoni Miss Aaron Or Ashwin On Day 1 In Southampton?

It is the first time in over two decades that India will tour England without <keyword id="118008" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sachin-Ramesh-Tendulkar">Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar</keyword>. The last time India were in England for a four-Test series in 2011, they were beaten 0-4 despite <keyword id="2727" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rahul-Dravid">Rahul Dravid</keyword> scoring three Test centuries. 
 That series, billed around Tendulkar's impending 100th century in international cricket, saw India's pace spearhead <keyword id="12644" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Zaheer-Khan">Zaheer Khan</keyword> pull out with a hamstring injury on the opening day of the first Test at Lord’s. It triggered India's most colossal drubbing since 1959. India returned empty handed as they lost their No. 1 Test rank to England. Andrew Strauss was at the helm of affairs for England then. 
 
A lot of water has flown under the bridge. As India prepare for the first Test starting July 9, England skipper Alastair Cook is under immense scrutiny after his side's 0-1 loss to Sri Lanka. What has made things worse is his own form. He has managed just 601 runs in the last 24 innings, averaging just 25 runs an innings. 
 England have picked a pace-oriented attack for the first Test and may influence the Indian think tank to respond in kind, picking <keyword id="6359948" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ravindra-Jadeja">Ravindra Jadeja</keyword> as the only spin bowling option at Trent Bridge. India's pace attack will be chosen among Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Aaron, Pankaj Singh and Ishwar Pandey. 
 
 
Yet, it is this attack that is India's biggest concern at the moment. Pankaj Singh and Ishwar Pandey are yet to make their debuts while Shami, Bhuvneshwar and Aaron have never played a Test in England leaving Ishant (55 Tests) to spearhead the Indian attack in the grueling series. 
 
If coach Duncan Fletcher is to be believed, this inexperience brings the unpredictability and excitement. "It is nice sometimes, because being unpredictable they will play some exciting cricket. There are some very exciting cricketers in the squad who would go on to become very good cricketers for India," Fletcher said ahead of the series. 
 
Ishant has shown his mettle in the past – two six-wicket hauls in New Zealand will have boosted his confidence amply. Bhuvneshwar has impressed everyone with his swing and ability to hit the right length. Shami has had a fairly good run in Test cricket and will relish bowling in England. Varun Aaron is the fastest of the Indian pacers and can bring a cutting edge to the attack. 
 
Pandey, from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, is a promising fast-medium bowler and can carry the burden of the Indian attack. He has been rewarded for claiming 78 wickets in Ranji Trophy over the last two seasons. Similarly, Pankaj Singh has been picked since he had a very good first class season behind him. 
 
Former India captain and former Chairman of selectors, Dilip Vengsarkar highlighted his concern about this attack before the series. "It will be tough for India. We need to have bowlers who can get them out twice but unfortunately I don't see any bowler," Vengsarkar said. The bowlers on tour will have to prove that they were chosen on merit and the belief that they can raise their game.

India Face Pace Conundrum In English Test

NEW DELHI: The huge demand at the <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword> <keyword id="1639" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Auction">auction</keyword> for Kevin Pietersen, the biggest national team reject around these days, isn't the only instance of franchises taking decisions contrary to those made by country selectors. While the dynamics of IPL team building are different, a look at the top 15 Indian players auctioned on Wednesday reveals little regard for choices made by Team India selectors. 
 
 
IPL 7 Auction: <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/IPL7-players-auction-live/liveblog/30258096.cms">Day 1 coverage</a> | <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/ipl-7-auction/IPL-7-Auction-Players-List/articleshow/29961389.cms">Who got whom </a>| <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/ipl-7-auction/ipl-team-wise-players/IPL-Team-Composition/articleshow/30274615.cms">Team compositions</a> 
 Sure, the core of the Indian T20 team — Dhoni, Kohli, Jadeja, Dhawan, Rahane, <keyword id="13937" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rohit-Sharma">Rohit Sharma</keyword> etc — were all retained by their franchises. But of those auctioned, only four of the 15 Indians who fetched the highest prices —Yuvraj, Bhuvneshwar, Amit Mishra and Shami — find a place in the India squad for the upcoming World T20 in Bangladesh. 
 
The remaining 11 — Karthik, Murali Vijay, Uthappa, Piyush Chawla, Yusuf Pathan, Ojha, Sehwag, Vinay Kumar, Manoj Tiwary, Unadkat and Ishant — were neither retained by their franchises nor picked for India's T20 squad. But in the IPL, they are trusted and high-value property. 
 Mohit Sharma and Varun Aaron, who do find a place in the India squad, commanded a lower price than Unadkat, Ishant, Zaheer or <keyword id="149050" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Umesh-Yadav">Umesh Yadav</keyword>, who have been discarded by the national selectors while looking for T20 fast-bowling options. Sharma and Aaron are only 20th and 21st on the list of top Indians auctioned in Bangalore, well below the others. 
 
Of course, the dynamics of team building in the IPL are very different from picking a national squad — with clear cut brackets for 4 foreigners and 7 Indians in the XI — but logic would suggest that those in the national team should get more attention at the auction than rejects with similar skill sets. 
 This variance with choices made by national selectors isn't repeated with other teams like Australia, probably because their top players were not all retained by franchises. Of the top 10 Aussies auctioned on the first day — Mitchell Johnson, Glen Maxwell, <keyword id="60604" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="David-Warner">David Warner</keyword>, Mitchell Starc, <keyword id="6377175" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Michael-Hussey">Michael Hussey</keyword>, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, George Bailey, Brad Hodge — all except Smith and the retired Hussey are headed for Bangladesh. But that Aussie squad also includes 43-year-old spinner Brad Hogg, who went unsold at the auction.

You Searched For "Varun Aaron" and got 12 results

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