NEW DELHI: With the majority of first-choice ODI players busy at the Asian Games and a host of players nursing injuries, it’s going to be a heady day for the national selectors here on Wednesday as they meet to pick the ODI team for the three-match home series against West Indies from Sept 27.TOI understands selectors are expected to spend a lot of time discussing whether they want to bring back Ravindra Jadeja, as Axar Patel will be on Asian Games duty. The other big call will be to decide on the second wicketkeeper, with KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya’s availability also a factor.It is learnt that the team management and the selectors want to move on from Jadeja. However, with Axar’s unavailability and Harsh Dubey injured, the selectors may consider Jadeja for ODIs.“Jadeja’s bowling in white-ball cricket hasn’t been up to the mark for a while now. Dubey was identified as Axar’s backup. The other spin-bowling allrounder, Washington Sundar, too will be at the Asian Games. The team management wants an established batter in the middle order,” a BCCI source told TOI.
Tricky call on Pandya
In the case of Pandya, the Centre of Excellence (CoE) has shared a report which says the star allrounder should be fit for competitive cricket from Sept 20. The selectors had named him in the 50-over India ‘A’ team for the series against Australia ‘A’, which starts on Oct 6.TOI has learnt that Pandya himself doesn’t want to rush back to international cricket until he is absolutely convinced about his fitness, which will allow him to bowl 10 overs in a match. The other two seam-bowling allrounders, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube, too will be in Japan. It is learnt that Suryansh Shedge is also nursing an injury.
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Will Pant get another lifeline?
TOI has learnt that the selectors are keen to give Rishabh Pant another go in the ODI format since Ishan Kishan will be at the Asian Games. Pant will be facing competition from Dhruv Jurel.“The selectors feel that Pant has the game against pace and bounce which can be useful in South Africa. He is more experienced than Jurel,” the source said.
