Five Indian players who can make a mark against Zimbabwe

India’s triumph at the Champions Trophy was virtually flawless as they dominated all their opponents on the road to the finals where the rain-interrupted match was snatched away from hosts England. That campaign left an impression that India were truly dominant in the shorter format of the game, but gaping holes appeared as India slumped to two consecutive defeats within a week of that triumph in the Caribbean.

While most cricket pundits would put down those two defeats to an overkill in the cricketing calendar, fatigue and satiation, it would be incorrect to ignore some of the areas where more work needs to be done. There is no doubt that India have a core group of players who will form the team that eventually goes to the 2015 World Cup, but a bigger pool of players would be required for the perpetuation of success.

Some of India’s key players who have played a massive role in India’s success in the last two years have been rested for the tour to Zimbabawe, where the Indian team will play a five-match ODI series. It will be a huge chance for some fresh talent to showcase their abilities at the international stage.

Parvez Rasool has evoked expectation as he becomes a symbol of cricket reaching the margins and becoming a factor that unites a nation of great diversity. Mohit Sharma has been selected to the side after he had an impressive Indian Premier League campaign with runners-up Chennai Super Kings. Jaydev Unadkat is another fast-bowler, contracted to Royal Challengers Bangalore and Saurashtra, who gets the nod as India try to expand their pool of fast bowling options.

Here is a list of five players who will be eager, as well as likely, to make a mark on the tour to Zimbabwe:

5. Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane made a promising start to his international career, scoring a half-century in his second game in hostile conditions against a quality bowling opposition in England. He has been in and out of the side since without receiving a prolonged run even when Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were consistently failing.

His misfortunes are likely to continue in the immediate future as India have now fully invested their faith in the abilities of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma. Both of these openers are travelling to Zimbabwe, but Sharma might slip into the middle order at some point in order to afford Rahane an opportunity.

However, it is difficult to see how he can make the squad in the long run even if he scores heavily in this series.

4. Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik forced his way into the Indian team on the grounds of his excellent performances in the Indian Premier League. His selection for Champions Trophy was not a huge surprise, but his entry into the playing eleven became an inevitability only because of the two consecutive centuries he scored for India in the warm-up games. Not only did he grab the number four spot in the team for that performance, prompting Dhoni to shower bucketful of praises on him in the post-match presentation, but also forced the pairing of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan in some sense.

However, he has failed to make a significant contribution in the ten matches that have been played since. He has the ability to handle pace and spin with equal ease, and can play in multiple gears. He can become an asset to this side if he can show some consistency. The Zimbabwe tour will be an excellent opportunity for him to shine forth with big runs.

3. Vinay Kumar

The right-handed medium pace bowler was a part of the Indian squad that toured the West Indies where he participated in a single game – the final of the tournament. He did not pick up any wickets in the game, but was astonishingly economical and on the money.

He has never disappointed in the 23 ODI appearances that he has to his name, but has just lacked that killer instinct that the bowling attack demands. His slight built and lack of extraordinary pace gives one the feeling that he cannot be a dangerous customer. However, he has heaps of wickets in the domestic circuit as well as in the Indian Premier League against quality international cricketers.

2. Amit Mishra

The leg-spinner has lived on the margins of Indian cricket for a long, long time now. He sneaked in for a brief while after the retirement of Anil Kumble only to be nudged out by Piyush Chawla at first and then R. Ashwin. Meanwhile, he has continued to do his job in the domestic circuit and in the IPL.

He was the highest wicket-taker for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2013 edition with 21 wickets in 17 matches in a team whose bowling department had the likes of Dale Steyn and Ishant Sharma.

However, Mishra’s statistics at the international level suggest under-par performances coupled with misfortune. His chances have come few and far between. He has been travelling with the Indian side for a while now, but he will finally get his chance in the absence of R. Ashwin.

1. Cheteshwar Pujara

The 25-year-old run-machine has had a dream start to his international career in the Test arena, averaging over 65.00 in no less than 13 matches, and has already notched up 1000 runs. He has been an outstanding performer in the domestic circuit as well, averaging over 60 in as many as 79 first-class matches.

He has the ability to make the transition to the shorter format of the game especially as India need someone who can anchor the innings in the middle order. The likes of Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik will face heavy competition from him within the squad. The great quality about Pujara’s batting is that he makes big hundreds and has an insatiable appetite for runs. He will be smacking his lips ahead of the tour to Zimbabwe.

Honourable Mentions: Shami Ahmed, Ambati Rayudu, Parvez Rasool