Selection Committee Has Its Task Cut Out For The Windies Tour

Indian team for three-match T20I series, as many ODIs and two Tests will be picked today

- G. Viswanath

Selection of the Indian team for the tour of the Caribbean Islands always evokes feelings of nostalgia of the Ajit Wadekar-led Indian team’s historic first Test series win there in 1971, Sunil Gavaskar’s phenomenal collection of 774 runs, the remarkable spin bowling achievements of Bishan Bedi, S. Venkataraghavan, Erapalli Prasanna and Salim Durani’s game-changing dismissals of Clive Lloyd and Garfield Sobers in the second innings of the second Test at Port of Spain.

But it was the prelude to the tour that saw the chairman of the selection committee Vijay Merchant voting in favor of Wadekar as captain when juxtaposed with Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, that sort of made Indian cricket shake like a leaf.

Wadekar’s elevation as captain, the selection of Gavaskar for the tour were the highlights of the tour and Merchant felt vindicated about the choice he made much against the cricketing fraternity’s perception.

Positive thinking