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India World Cup squad: Logic goes for three-dimensional toss

Groomed to be India’s No. 4 for a year and despite his gritty showing, Rayudu is dropped from World Cup squad for rookie Shankar

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Ambati Rayudu has been given the maximum chance at No. 4 position in ODIs since the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. He is the lone century maker in this period at that position; (Right) Vijay Shankar
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Certain players are lucky and certain others not so lucky, especially when it comes to World Cup selection. The one player who comes foremost to mind for being unlucky is VVS Laxman, who despite his consistency, was ignored for the 2003 World Cup. The wristy batsman never played a World Cup, and that remains his biggest regret.

The same can be said of another Hyderabadi batsman Ambati Rayudu, who despite being given the belief in the past year or so that he'd be India's No. 4 has been dropped for the World Cup in England and Wales in favour of a rookie Vijay Shankar.

The cricketing world is still debating Rayudu's exclusion more than Rishabh Pant's omission. While the selectors have got it right in Pant's case, going in for the more experienced Dinesh Karthik as the reserve wicketkeeper, the same five wise men led by MSK Prasad may have made the mistake of overlooking the 33-year-old Hyderabadi's 55-ODI match experience, and going in for Tamil Nadu's 28-year-old who is only nine ODIs old, batting only in four of them at Nos. 5, 6 and 7.

WC not a stage to experiment

While Shankar may have been batting for Sunrisers Hyderabad at No. 4 for most of this IPL season and for his state Tamil Nadu, to be doing it for the first time for Team India, that too in a World Cup, is a different cup of tea.

World Cup is not the stage to experiment with the No. 4 position, especially when someone has not batted for India at that slot before. Playing in domestic circuit, facing the local bowlers and scoring against them is entirely different from scoring against top quality international bowling, that too in the quadrennial event.

The No. 4 is considered a crucial slot that links the top order with the rest and lends stability and balance to the team's total. It requires a different mindset when the team loses early wickets and one has to bail the team out and then step on the accelerator after settling down.

It is also a position when, if the team has been given a rousing start by the top order to go, he is required to carry on the momentum.

Rayudu is best suited for both these situations. He has the strokes to score quickly while also the game to bat in trying circumstances. He recently played that role to perfection when, in Wellington, India were 18/4 with Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, newcomer Shubhman Gill and MS Dhoni back for almost next to nothing.

Rayudu played brilliantly, stitching partnerships with No. 6, 7 and 8 in Shankar, Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya, respectively, that his 90 helped India beat New Zealand by 35 runs.

Whether Shankar can replicate that in the World Cup is anybody's guess.

Like former India left-arm spinner Venkatapathi Raju told DNA: "Rayudu has just been unlucky to not have been picked for the World Cup. For his experience, he would have been the ideal choice for that position."

Why sacrifice batsman for 'all-rounder'?

While the joke has been going around that India's tail begins at No. 4, Rayudu himself saw the lighter side of his omission from the World Cup squad. Responding to Prasad's explanation, "what Vijay Shankar offers is three-dimensional. Apart from his batting, he can bowl," Rayudu tweeted on Tuesday afternoon: "Just Ordered a new set of 3d glasses to watch the world cup..."

Shankar, as the selectors perceive, is purely a batsman at No. 4 who can also give you that extra three or four overs if the conditions are overcast in England. Prasad boasted of India having the luxury of playing seven bowlers.

Why would you sacrifice a solid middle-order batsman in Rayudu for a batting all-rounder when you have six other bowlers with variety in the playing 11? And especially when you have the specialist all-rounder in Hardik Pandya in the 11.

With India in all likelihood going in with four specialist bowlers (3 pacers and one spinner) and 40 overs out of the way, the remaining 10 will be shared between Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav. The last choice to roll the arm over would be Shankar.

Why would Kohli even want to look at the seventh bowler when has six to deliver the goods? The need of the hour is a solid batsman who has performed over the years and not just someone who made his ODI debut at the start of the year.

As Raju said, "World Cup comes once in four years. You need to have 30, 40 or 50 matches behind you and played all over the world and have the experience going into the World Cup, where the pressure is different."

Experts prefer Rayudu over Shankar

Former India batsman and Tamil Nadu veteran S Badrinath was all for Rayudu in the squad. "His numbers may not be that extraordinary. But among those available, Rayudu is the best in terms of his approach to the game. I would definitely have Rayudu and not Shankar in my squad," Badrinath said from Chennai.

"Vijay may do well in England, we don't know. But as a specialist batsman, you need Rayudu at No. 4."

Former World Cup-winning opener Gautam Gambhir also empathised with Rayudu on his omission. Joining the debate, Gambhir told PTI on Tuesday: "It is very, very unfortunate that someone averaging 48 (47.05 to be precise) in white-ball cricket and is only 33 has been left out. That for me is more heartbreaking than any other selection decision..

"I feel sorry for him. I know how difficult it is not being picked for the World Cup. Ultimately for any young kid, it is a childhood dream to be a part of the big event. So, I feel more sorry for Rayudu more than any other cricketer, who hasn't been picked."

Badrinath was for the inclusion of Shankar in the squad, but not at No. 4. "Vijay Shankar is a quality player, no doubt, and is definitely one for the future. He also gives you the bowling options of 2-3 overs. But him at No. 4 for India in a World Cup, I won't do that," said the Badrinath, now a television expert.

Badrinath also felt that the selectors may have dropped Rayudu to accommodate a back-up wicketkeeper in Dinesh Karthik.

"A specialist spot is being affected just to accommodate a reserve wicketkeeper, who is not going to get a chance unless Dhoni gets injured. Basically, you are going to select the 11 from 14 and not 15," said Badrinath.

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