The IPL has taken one more World Cup winner down with the injury list and now following members are either not available or are resting:
1. Virender Sehwag
2. Gautam Gambhir
3. Yuvraj Singh
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Che Pujara
Sehwag, Gambhir played almost full IPL through their injuries and withdrew at the end of their franchisee's campaign to go for further treatment. Gambhir played full IPL for KKR and when he was to lead India in WI he opted out of the tour due to the injury.
Tendulkar has played entire IPL till today's loss and now he wants to skip the Windies test tour too to be with his family. Arrogance. Why couldnt he have skipped the IPL or part of it to be with his family? Why skip the test tour of West Indies? What if it was England tour?
Even more bizzare case is for Gambhir, the most expensive buy of IPL 4 and man who won the final for India. He is not only the best player of spin in the world but also a very valuable cog in the ODIs and Tests for India. Now India's and world's best opening pair wont be around in Windies. Why did Gambhir play through the IPL with a sore shoulder? Did Dildo Khan force him to? Did he inform BCCI about this? Does he qualify of being guilty to chose club over country? Is he right to play full IPL and skip test / odis of West Indies.
Still India shall win both ODI and test series in West Indies, but this entire episode leaves a very bad taste in the mouth and I hate IPL now. Its just killing the soul and spirit of world cricket. Indian players have set a very bad precedent in the world by skipping the national tour and playing the crappy IPL. Even worse is the role from BCCI who manages both and it needs to decide where does it loyalty lie? IPL or world cricket?
As a result the Tamil Nadu folks have made a comeback in the Test team and instead of Delhi lads, Chennai lads would open for India in Tests. The new Mukund and the failed Vijay. Also finding a place in the test team is Dabrinath, the same lad who failed when given the chances. Mukund sounds good prospect, would be keen to see how he performs.
Just 4 fast bowlers and 3 spinners. Riches. 2 of the fast bowlers are Sreesanth and Munaf Patel, that says the strength of the attack. They both were termed as "best pace attack of last 15 years" in 2006 when India under Dravid won the test series, but then Munaf had pace then, now he has just a nagging length and no pace. Sreesanth has everything except what it takes to excel in the middle of the ground. 3 spinners in West Indies is again a poor selection. Now suddenly Pragyan Ojha is back in contention...Basis of what? IPL? He failed miserably in the IPL.
Probable XI :
1. Mukund
2. Vijay
3. Dravid
4. Laxman
5. Raina
6. Kohli
7. Dhoni
8. Harbhajan
9. Ishant
10. Zaheer
11. Freesanth
The batting order suddenly looks depleted and the opening pair seems wobbly. Thanks to the IPL and player priorities. Tendulkar especially is the one to blame the most.
