In England, selecting the playing eleven is never straightforward

{ STRAIGHT DRIVE

- Amrit Mathur

The Edgbaston win has put a temporary lid on the debate about team selection, but picking the 11 is a challenge that pops up ahead of every game.

Test match action starts before the openers take guard and the umpire calls play. The day before is prep time, players are anxious students doing last minute revision of the syllabus. Following the ‘process’ is important, which means attend the team meeting, have a hit in the nets, do fitness drills, and mental exercises to soothe nerves. Then, early dinner and eight hours of sleep.

Pregame, the team management is busy studying the pitch and deciding the playing 11. The captain, coach and’ chief selector scratch their wise heads to pick the right combination based on conditions, aware that a wrong call —a tactical error — could cost them the game before the toss. Usually, it boils down to sorting out the bowling attack.

In England, selecting the best combination considering the seaming/swinging conditions is never straightforward. Should you bat down to 7-8 or pick five specialist bowlers to get 20 wickets. Packing the side with medium pace all-rounders is a ‘safety first insurance option’ but that compromises the bowling and leaves Kuldeep Yadav wearing a yellow bib.