India vs Zimbabwe: Five potential Indian prospects for the future

In the calendar of events for an Indian cricket team, a Zimbabwean tour is generally ranked amongst the lowest in terms of importance.

Detractors go as far as calling the series a glorified African safari. However, such low-profile series serve as trial grounds for the understudies of the future – players whose futures hinge on performances in the very few opportunities that will come their way.

As in the past, the first three encounters of the Zimbabwean series have produced a few players that have stood out and may go on to perform and do the country proud. Here are five potential gems for the future.

5. Mohammed Shami Ahmed

Blooded into the Indian team earlier this year, Shami Ahmed, the man from Joya Town, Uttar Pradesh, produced a decent performance to return with one wicket from nine overs against Pakistan, not bad for a 23-year-old who was picked after only 15 domestic first class games for Bengal.

But one summer never made a swallow and the man would have to perform consistently to entertain hopes of a permanent place in the Indian side.

In the first three matches in Zimbabwe, Shami has displayed the ability to bowl at pace with the new ball, can seam the ball away from the right handed batsmen, and bowls some of the best lines that we seen in the recent past. It is important for all those concerned with Indian cricket to not only take care of this new find, but to also earmark him for important tours in the future.

4. Ambati Rayudu

It’s not often that a cricketer puts in about a decade of toil in the domestic circuit before he gets a call up to his national side. It’s not often that a player who played for a banned rebel league, gets picked for his country.

But, that is the story of Ambati Rayudu, a man who has given hope to all those young cricketers working hard in backwaters of India’s domestic season.

After scoring consistently in the domestic season, Rayudu has left no stone unturned to get into the Indian ODI team. Now with this impressive debut in which he scored an unbeaten 63 to take India home in the first ODI, Rayudu should be given enough opportunities to let his undoubted talent shine.

3. Dinesh Karthik

Making his debut in 2004, this talented wicket keeper batsmen has been India’s tinkerman for a long time now. Pushed to open the batting in England, pushed up and down the batting order whenever he got an opportunity, definitely did not allow him to get into any form of rhythm.

Perennially in the shadow of MS Dhoni, Karthik has once again got the opportunity to vindicate an already proven talent. In the second ODI of this series, he joined Shikar Dhawan and produced a sublime 69 which pulled India out of the woods and took the team to a score of 294.

With the workload on the Indian captain being higher than probably any other cricketer in the world, the time has come for us to have a settled backup wicket keeper permanently in the Indian squad. And that man should be Karthik.

2. Jaidev Unadkat

Unadkat bowl 26 agonizing long overs and went wicket less after giving away 102 runs, all this on his debut Test match against South Africa.

This was his first ever international appearance for India as young 19-year-old, which led to him being dropped.

The argument put forward was that he could not bring the ball back into the right hander and that he was too thin and lanky to bowl fast for long periods of time.

Two years of hard work in the Indian domestic circuit and good 15-pounds heavier, the man is back. He has been the leader of India’s pace attack this series and has consistently bowled with pace and venom in all three matches so far. And, he has swung the ball into the batsmen, accounting for six wickets in the series so far.

1. Amit Mishra

This guy flights the ball, he turns it conventionally, bowls the googly and is also capable of a straighter one. A complete leg spinner and arguably one of the best in all forms of cricket all around the world.

The poor Zimbabwe batsmen had no clue as to what was coming their way, stuttering to handle the sustained attack. He has picketed up nine wickets in the series so far and has emerged as the leading wicket taker so far with one man of the match performance to boot.

A leg spinner is one of the most attacking options that a captain can have under his sleeve. There is no doubting the class of Mishra, and with Ashwin and Jadeja doing so well, it augurs well for the Indian spin department.

Lets hope these men are given a long run and are able to sustain the good performances they have produced in Zimbabwe. It definitely has been a safari for these men.