Change is the only constant and the world as we know it is in a state of constant flux; change is not necessarily a bad thing and needs to be accepted as an integral part of one's life journey......
Team India also happens to find itself in a state of flux right now, stalwarts like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman have already announced their retirements from all forms of the game and Sachin Tendulkar's is just around the corner, Zaheer Khan is already in a semi retired state and Virender Sehwag is going to find making yet another comeback a herculean task for sure.........
Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan have allayed the fears regarding the opening partnership somewhat with their stellar displays against the once almighty Aussies, but let's put things in the right perspective, this is without a shadow of doubt, the weakest ever Australian team to have visited Indian shores since Kimberley John Hughes led his apology for a team on an Indian tour way back in 1979........
Peter Siddle and James Pattinson are the only bowlers who have looked like taking wickets and skipper Michael Clarke, Ed Cowan and Steve Smith are the only batsmen who look like getting any runs, so then one wonders what the hullabaloo is all about and why Messrs Vijay and Dhawan are being touted as team India's "new age saviours".........
Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha are not even a patch on their far more illustrious predecessors, they can certainly snare wickets on designer pitches at home, but the million rupee question is whether or not they will be able to replicate their success on the anything but spin friendly conditions in both South Africa and New Zealand that team India is going to be confronted with in the very near future........
Ishant Sharma not only seems to have lost his pace, incisiveness, wicket taking ability, but zest for the game, Bhuvneshwar Kumar can certainly swing the new ball around and make it talk, but has still to prove himself with a semi-new as well as relatively old and thus much softer ball...........
Former team India opener and present day Bengal team coach Woorkeri Venkat Raman certainly seems to have hit the nail on the head with his timely suggestion about sending a team for an "A" tour a couple of months before the eventual test tour of South Africa slated for the months of November/December.........
This "A" team could be led by Virat Kohli as he is already being touted as the team India's next test captain and comprise of such talented youngsters such as Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwari, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, and Parvez Rasool to name just a few........
These youngsters will not only get the golden opportunity of acclimatising themselves to the seam and swing bowling friendly conditions in South Africa but also serve up a timely reminder to the selectors about their mettle, potential and true worth.......
Will, the BCCI mandarins pay heed to Raman's invaluable suggestion and go about finalising the modalities of such a tour or will team India land in South Africa five to six days before the advent of the serious business of playing test cricket in alien conditions and get beaten black and blue as has been the case more often than not in the past; well your guess in this regard is as good as mine........
Team India also happens to find itself in a state of flux right now, stalwarts like Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman have already announced their retirements from all forms of the game and Sachin Tendulkar's is just around the corner, Zaheer Khan is already in a semi retired state and Virender Sehwag is going to find making yet another comeback a herculean task for sure.........
Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan have allayed the fears regarding the opening partnership somewhat with their stellar displays against the once almighty Aussies, but let's put things in the right perspective, this is without a shadow of doubt, the weakest ever Australian team to have visited Indian shores since Kimberley John Hughes led his apology for a team on an Indian tour way back in 1979........
Peter Siddle and James Pattinson are the only bowlers who have looked like taking wickets and skipper Michael Clarke, Ed Cowan and Steve Smith are the only batsmen who look like getting any runs, so then one wonders what the hullabaloo is all about and why Messrs Vijay and Dhawan are being touted as team India's "new age saviours".........
Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha are not even a patch on their far more illustrious predecessors, they can certainly snare wickets on designer pitches at home, but the million rupee question is whether or not they will be able to replicate their success on the anything but spin friendly conditions in both South Africa and New Zealand that team India is going to be confronted with in the very near future........
Ishant Sharma not only seems to have lost his pace, incisiveness, wicket taking ability, but zest for the game, Bhuvneshwar Kumar can certainly swing the new ball around and make it talk, but has still to prove himself with a semi-new as well as relatively old and thus much softer ball...........
Former team India opener and present day Bengal team coach Woorkeri Venkat Raman certainly seems to have hit the nail on the head with his timely suggestion about sending a team for an "A" tour a couple of months before the eventual test tour of South Africa slated for the months of November/December.........
This "A" team could be led by Virat Kohli as he is already being touted as the team India's next test captain and comprise of such talented youngsters such as Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwari, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, and Parvez Rasool to name just a few........
These youngsters will not only get the golden opportunity of acclimatising themselves to the seam and swing bowling friendly conditions in South Africa but also serve up a timely reminder to the selectors about their mettle, potential and true worth.......
Will, the BCCI mandarins pay heed to Raman's invaluable suggestion and go about finalising the modalities of such a tour or will team India land in South Africa five to six days before the advent of the serious business of playing test cricket in alien conditions and get beaten black and blue as has been the case more often than not in the past; well your guess in this regard is as good as mine........
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