India is due to start Test series at home after over two
years. Plenty of changes have taken
place since that last Test match on home soil in November 2013. No Tendulkar, no Dhoni, no Fletcher – in fact
no head coach just a team director and a new captain with innovative ideas.
But one constant has still remained and that is selection of
an over-extended squad of 16 for a home Test.
India amongst the top nation seems to be only country that picks such a
large squad for a home series. While the likes of England, South Africa, New
Zealand and Australia may opt to pick 15 or 16 members couple of weeks prior to
the Test by the eve or the morning of the match the squad is trimmed down to 12
or 13. This ensures the members of the squad not participating in the match can
then go and play in the domestic matches as there services are no longer
required.
Now naturally for that theory to be applied the scheduling
and the window between the domestic matches and Test matches needs to be
sufficient so in case of an injury a player can be rushed into the Test squad
after the respective domestic matches.
In the past the India has crammed back to back Tests with
only three days in between games making it difficult to release players once
the Test has started.
But this season Test 1 and Test 2 have a four day break.
Test 2 and Test 3 have a 7 day break.
Importantly with the 1st Test going from 5th
Nov – 9th Nov and a series of Ranji Trophy matches starting from 7th
Nov – 10th Nov, it means once the playing 11 are confirmed on the
morning of the 5th November what is the need for the other 2 or 3
players to float around the team when they can participate in Ranji Match until
the 10th Nov and then still be back with the camp on the 11th
(still 2 days before the commencement of the 2nd Test)
Similarly the 2nd Test commences on the 14th
November as do the next round of Ranji Trophy matches. The selectors, coaching staff and the players
are keen for the bench players to gain match practice then at least 2 if not 3
members of the squad can be sent to play for their respective team on the
evening of the Test Match.
In the past selectors have stated the purpose of maintaining
a large squad through the duration of the Test match is so reserve batsmen and
bowlers can tussle it out in the nets. But
wouldn’t it be wiser for players to gain match practice than repeated net
sessions. On the past experiences the
most productive sessions the spare batsmen receive during the five days is by
the virtue of 100 odd throw downs from the batting, fielding and the throw down
specialist.
In countries such as Australia, South Africa and England
this is a common trend. In fact local grade cricketers are used as substitute
fielders to ensure bench players can get an opportunity to go back to state
teams and get a game under their belt.
Players such as Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane have in the
past warmed the benches for close to a month and have been starved of match
practice. There may be obstacles but if the BCCI and the state teams can share
the same ground then the smallest things can start making the difference at the
top.
