Indian domestic cricket is bursting with young talent, but do any of them have the substance to make an impact and forge a successful test career?
Virat Kohli:
Maybe the most obvious candidate to take a slot in the middle order. Kohli made an immediate impact in the one-day format, smashing 7 centuries before his 23rd birthday, and currently has an average in excess of 45. He has shown his mettle under pressure - a century in the world cup opener and a valuable 35 to help guide his team to victory in the World Cup Final. Prolific in the IPL, he has emerged as one of India's most promising and exciting players. His performances in his fledging test career however, have left much to be desired. Averaging only 27 in his first 13 innings, with only 3 50s and a pitiful 73 run return in a three test series in the West Indies, the Indian selectors will hope he can come to terms with the challenges of test cricket - and fast. As a lively and enthusiastic character, he has lots to contribute in the dressing room, but he has found himself in trouble over his on-field antics. Fined 50% for his match fee after gesturing to the crowd with his middle finger on the second day of the SCG test in Australia, Kohli is also remembered for shrugging off a mistake in the field with the words 'sh*t happens' whilst 'on-the-mic' to the commentary box.
Suresh Raina:
Another Indian player who has failed to carry his prolificacy in the shorter format into the test arena, Raina waited 5 years, and played 98 ODIs, before making his test debut in 2010. After a blip in his career in 2007, Raina re-emerged a changed man, his swashbuckling flourishes destroying unsuspecting bowling attacks game after game. A left hander in the mould of Yuvraj Singh, no ground seems big enough when Raina is on form. On scoring a hundred on test debut against Sri Lanka, and going on to record 2 50s in his next 3 innings, the Indian selectors must have thought they'd found a new backbone for their aging middle order. Since then, Raina has failed to recapture the magic, with a string of solid, but not extraordinary performances, culminating in an embarrassing tour to England. With his aversion to pace, swing there for all to see and most importantly, his fear of the short ball evident, Raina lost his place in the test team. He looked completely lost against anything short of a length, and his pathetic wafts at chin-high deliveries were laughable. This is an area Raina will need to work hard on if he hopes to have any further success in the international arena.
Rohit Sharma:
With 72 ODIs under his belt Sharma has had a decent taste of international cricket. He is yet however, to grace the test arena, and has yet to really exploit the endless pools of talent he has at his mercy. Averaging a gargantuan 63.52 in domestic cricket, including a marathon 309*, his ODI average of 34, with only two centuries (coming back-to-back against Banglandesh and Zimbabwe) doesn't seem to reflect his powerful wrists, his pin-point accuracy in splitting the field and his exquisite timing. His lack of consistency saw him left out the World Cup winning team, but his man-of-the-series performance on his return to the team against the West Indies is very encouraging. Many have called for him to replace Kohli in the number 6 spot in the test team, whilst others have suggested he replace Laxman, as the first phase of phasing out the golden generation of Indian cricket. Indeed, India should learn the lesson of Australia, who suffered a severe decline upon the near-simultaneous retirements of Warne, McGrath, Langer, Gilchrist and Hayden. Given Sharma's problems in one day cricket, perhaps now is not the time for him to make the step up to the 5 day game.
Cheteshwar Pujara:
Another young player who has been prolific in the domestic game, Pujara had a short stint in the test team towards the end of 2010. Still only 23, he averages over 54 in the longer format of domestic cricket, with an equally impressive average of 53, showing that despite his years, he has developed into a competent and consistent performer. Coming into a team depleted by injuries, Pujara's test debut, for some strange reason, has always stuck in my mind. Coming to the crease at number 5, after a 100 over wait, during which Dravid and Murali Vijay had amassed a partnership in excess of 300, Pujara was greeted by a flat pitch and group of dejected Australians. As he cracked his first ball in test cricket through the covers for four, Pujara couldn't have wished for a better start. Two balls later, he was traipsing back to the pavilion, undone by an absolute rip-snorter of a delivery from Mitchell Johnson. The second innings was more fruitful for Pujara, as his well constructed 72 guided his team to the 207 required for victory. In his next three innings, he managed a meagre 31 runs, and was cast into international wilderness, sent back to domestic cricket, where he has been prolific ever since.
There is no doubting that India have plenty of options for the future, all with an abundance of natural talent. Only time will tell if these youngsters can transfer this natural aptitude to the international arena, and establish a long and successful test career.
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