Dhoni Has Difficult Decisions To Make

M.S.Dhoni must be terribly nonplussed as he gets down to the ticklish business of finalising the team for tomorrow’s Super Eights match against Australia in the current T20 World Cup Series.

With both Harbhajan Singh and Piysuh Chawla having done exceedingly well against England in the last group league match, it is indeed difficult to choose between the two mesmerising spinners of the ball. Can Dhoni take the seemingly easy way out and opt for both? The temptation is great; the possibility looks remote. For there are  other factors weighing on his mind.

Opting for two spinners may mean axing Zahir Khan whose performance has been rather disappointing of late. But he does enjoy the confidence of the skipper and rightly so. After all, who can deny that Zahir in his element is indeed a force to reckon with and is capable of effortlessly tipping the scales in India’s favour? Form is such a fickle thing; a player in good form may suddenly go out of form; and one out of form may suddenly regain it. If Zahir regains form as inexplicably as he seems to have lost it, there can be nothing else that India and Dhoni can ask for! But can Dhoni afford the gamble at this stage of the series?

Compounding the problem is the fact that Irfan Pathan who can be a valuable complement to the prowess of Zahir as well as an able replacement for Zahir is pretty much in good form. Now the question is: “Zahir and/or Irfan?” There is much to say either way!

What tilts the scales here is an unpredictable titan: Virender Sehwag the man who can terrify  the opponent even in a short stay of a few overs and tear any bowling apart with reckless abandon. He can be a whirlwind and a bulwark rolled into one! Sehwag is too outstanding a match-winner to be dismissed with disdain.

Sehwag was left out of the last match. And none can fault the decision. But can a decision to rest Sehwag yet again be easy for any skipper? If Sehwag continues to be rested, Irfan Pathan is likely to be one of the openers. Given the misgivings about the physical fitness of Sehwag, one need not be surprised if Dhoni chooses the easier way out by opting for Irfan and keeping Sehwag out at least for this match while giving him an opportunity to prove his form and fitness in the post-match practice sessions.

Much hinges around what Dhoni favours: 6 batsmen and 5 bowlers or 7 batsmen and 4 bowlers. That is by itself an extremely difficult decision when one plays a formidable team like Australia.

Till the morrow, then, we keep our fingers crossed and watch with bated breath.

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