agencies
NEW DELHI, Feb 9: The only two people who have got a bit of grace period are Rahane and Pujara, who have had a dry run for two years.
If youngsters like Hanuma Vihari (a possible No.3) and the talented Shubman Gill (No.5) need to be settled in their new roles, it should start with the Sri Lanka series.
That initiation will ensure that they carry on deep into the World Test Championship's second cycle. Somewhere, the new team management under Rahul Dravid's stewardship needs to take a few tough calls but it would also depend on what the new Test captain (in all likelihood Rohit Sharma) also feels about the future of these two seniors. They are sure-shot selections against Sri Lanka but in their case, the team management wants them to play Ranji Trophy which means that if they can score heavily over a period of time, there is a chance of a comeback.
Unlike Ishant and Saha, who seem to have played their last Tests respectively.
For Rahane and Pujara, the Ranji Trophy begins with the two squaring off against each other and they would like to give their everything to keep their places in the team. |
