5 surprises in India's squad for Test series against Australia

The Indian selectors have picked a 19-member squad for India’s upcoming 4-match Test series against Australia Down Under. Although a majority of players selected themselves through largely strong performances in Test cricket over the last 12-18 months, there were some surprise inclusions in the squad, too. The surprise was not necessarily because the players didn’t deserve that coveted spot in the squad; it was rather because no one expected those names to come up in the first place.Here are 5 players who could perhaps consider themselves fortunate to be picked:

#1 Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina’s career seemed to be on the wane just a few months back, so much so that he even lost his spot in the ODI side for the Asia Cup earlier this year, a format he was born to ace. Nevertheless, Raina came back with a couple of match-winning performances in tight situations against England in their own backyard. The relief he brought after India’s horrendous run in the Tests ensured that he came back into the reckoning.

He credited team director Ravi Shastri for the change in India’s fortunes. He, probably, has to thank Shastri for earning a berth in the Test squad for Australia as well, after the cricketer-turned-commentator publicly backed Raina getting a recall in Test cricket after a gap of 2 years.

However, for a man terribly vulnerable against the rising ball, facing Australia, who possess Mitchell Johnson & co., could prove to be a graveyard for his Test career.

#2 Karn Sharma

One of those players who came into recognition largely through IPL, Karn Sharma showed excellent bowling skills and impressive batting skills down the order for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Nevertheless, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja already in the team and India unlikely to play more than 1 spinner in the XI in Australian conditions, Karn is not likely to get a chance in any imaginable permutation and combination.

Even more surprising is the fact that the leg-spinner made it to the squad ahead of Akshar Patel, who is fast turning out to be the blue-eyed boy of India’s spinning department.

#3 Shikhar Dhawan

True, he showed fine form during the just-concluded ODI series against Sri Lanka. However, there are two reasons why Shikhar Dhawan’s name in the Test squad still comes as a surprise. He had a wretched Test series against England before being eventually dropped in favour of Gautam Gambhir, who fared even worse in the opportunities offered to him.

Secondly, Dhawan has a genuine problem against fast short pitched stuff directed at the body, a weakness that has been well-documented and proven over the last 12 months. Especially with India having KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma, who could get a chance at the top of the order, in its ranks, Dhawan is a surprise as he hasn’t done much to erase the memory of his failures in England.

#4 Naman Ojha

Wicket-keeper batsman Naman Ojha has probably been included in the squad only due to the fact that MS Dhoni is unavailable for the 1st Test in Brisbane. Unless an unfortunate incident prevents Wriddhiman Saha from playing in the first Test, Naman is going to be a passenger, rewarded for his impressive showings for India ‘A’ during their tour of Australia recently.

It is merely caution on the part of selectors that has made them pick 3 specialist wicket-keepers in the squad. Robin Uthappa would have been a better pick, considering that he can either play as a wicket-keeper and bat lower down the order or as an opening batsmen if needed.

#5 Ravindra Jadeja

Amit Mishra being included in the Test squad, considering the traditional effectiveness of a leg-spinner in Australian conditions, would have been more understandable than the inclusion of Ravindra Jadeja. That is because Jadeja, as a spinner, is really unlikely to succeed on the hard Australian surfaces that are not really inclined to prodigious spin.

R Ashwin will probably feature in XI because of his ability to get turn & bounce and also because he is a better batsman than Jadeja against good quality fast bowling. So Jadeja is a risky pick, whether it is as a batsman, bowler or all-rounder.