Rahul Dravid had said earlier that there was little to do now for these players other than to make the most of the last two matches against Sri Lanka and then put in a lot of "hard nets." That's precisely what they must do, but whether it will be enough remains to be seen. The one thing in India's favour is that all these players are experienced enough, especially in one-day cricket, and have tasted plenty of success in the past, which means they know the road forward.

If you have to feel for someone who has missed the cut, it is Ramesh Powar, the Mumbai offspinner. He's had his opportunities through injury to one of India's premier spinners, and has, largely, grabbed them. With Anil Kumble no longer the ace ODI bowler that he once was - there was a time when it was next to impossible to score more than 40 runs off his 10 overs - and Harbhajan Singh growing into a restrictive option rather than a genuinely wicket-taking one, there was hope for Powar. For, even in the face of some heavy mauling, Powar has shown the nerve and ability to continue to toss the ball up, stick to his plans, and look for wickets.

The disappointing thing for Powar is that all that he's done simply has not been enough to displace one of the two main spinners. The selectors have gone for pedigree over pluck, and you can't fault them too much. The hope was that Powar would bring to the table some of the belligerent batting that he so routinely delivers in domestic cricket, and that his fitness and fielding would be lifted once he was in the Team India environment.

Despite his steely nerve, Ramesh Powar simply has not done enough to displace one of the two main spinners © Getty Images

While his fielding is nowhere near as bad as it is made out to be by some people who cannot look past his podgy build, his batting has contributed little in the chances he got. With Pathan going off the boil, there was a real chance for Powar to cement his place in the side as a bowler who could contribute with the bat - not in a floating position but certainly down the order - but that never happened.

The other person who will count himself unlucky, and will be missed in certain ways, is Suresh Raina. Not long ago, he was the next batting hope, one rung below Yuvraj and Mohammad Kaif, the second of whom seems all but finished, and today he finds himself left far behind. Dinesh Karthik fields like a tiger and has done a lot more with the bat, and raced ahead of Raina in the pecking order. Robin Uthappa brings that same fielding electricity to the mix and has been a massive hit with the bat. Still, even with all his failures with the bat, having Raina in the squad would not have been a bad thing, just for the manner in which he fields, but there simply is no space.

At one stage in the recent Rajkot one-dayer against Sri Lanka, the field, starting from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the wicketkeeper, and working your way around anticlockwise, was as follows: Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly (slips), Kumble (third man), Karthik (point), Uthappa (cover), Munaf (mid-off), Dravid (mid-on), Harbhajan
(midwicket) and Sehwag (square leg). Of course, this looks especially dodgy because Yuvraj, Ajit Agarkar, Pathan and Zaheer Khan were missing through injury, but still, you can see the vast gap between the trio of Uthappa, Karthik, Yuvraj and the rest. So will teams like Australia, and India will be conceding a serious handicap in the field every single time.

There will be those who feel wronged: VVS Laxman has already made some comments about not having being given enough chances, Kaif supporters will be up in arms over a career in disarray, and Gautam Gambhir may have nursed some hopes. But, if you assembled a completely different set of five selectors, and they honestly picked 15, it would not be much different from this one.

The selectors should have given a chance to Ramesh Powar. What more he should do to get a nod. His inclusion would have sharpen our bowling attack.Hard luck to Powar.

"But, if you assembled a completely different set of five selectors, and they honestly picked 15, it would not be much different from this one."
I think that should read as 'Indian Selectors'. Because lets admit it that they just picked the side hoping they will do well. They may, but its highly unlikely. A couple of points: If we have to 'win' the world cup we mostly have to beat Australia and Laxman should have been in the team 'just' for this. Kaif could have been given atleast 2 games to prove himself, but instead raina strangely kept getting chances (btw, Kaif is as good as Raina in the field - so no excuses there). So, its really not true that five different selectors would have picked almost the same team. Selectors who can think 'out of the box' would have picked differently.

I have always been a great fan of Anil Kumble. For me, he is up with Sachin as one of the best cricketers to ever play for India. But I feel, Powar would have been a better option in the one-day game. We have a great opportunity to win this world cup, if the experienced players hold their nerves. Good luck, team India.

Nicely put . Ramesh Powar should have been there in addition to the two spinners, maybe in place of Karthick . Yesterday at Rajkot Dinesh cracked under pressure , he failed the acid test . Powar would have scored as much runs may be if he had been there (?). Additionally I feel sangakkara would have holed out to deep fine or sq leg against Ramesh much before his 100 . Such situations will be repeated at WC and we will rue the exclusion of Powar. Another point do you think Uthappa deserved it ? Bermuda yes but Sri Lanka upwards ? No way.

I do not fully agree with your comments. When you select a team you have to have a common criteria for all. If the selection is based on performances in the recent past,there is no place for Sewag , Kumble and Pathan. We should have had Gambhir , Ramesh Powar and R.P.Singh in their places. As far as Raina is concerned, enough chances were given to him and he failed misserably and should not be in the reserves even. Nobody is selected for their fielding alone and Gambhir and others are good fielders and far better batesmen.

If the selection was based on past preformence over a period of time and match winning ability, there is no way you could have left out Kaif, who had done wonderfully well in West Indies in our last tour.The bottom line is you are just finding justifications to select the people you want to be in the team. There is no logic or method. It was well known that Dravid wanted Sewag and Kumble in the team irrespective of their form or performence and that Raina is the blue-eyed boy of the coach!!

Are we doing the same mistake with Virendar Sehwag as we did last time by picking Dinesh Mongia instead of VVS Laxman? Only time will tell?

Gautum Gambhir should have been in the W.Cup Squad. First he came to replace Saurav and did pretty well and this time around he replaced Sehwag and made good contribution.

Disaster team. Robin has been picked on just 2-3 good performances. MIddle order is a worry and so is the fielding. Kumble is sadly over the hill in ODI's, his batting , esp in a chase will be found wanting. Powar is the really bad miss.

It is not always possible to select a set of 15 players which would satisfy most, if not all, especially in a country like ours where cricket is not only a religion but everyone has a opinion or two on every aspect of the game ! Having said that, here are my comments on the selection. One day game is all about bits and pieces players, who are good in atleast two departments, if not in all three ( batting and bowling, or batting and fielding - I have not come across many who are good in bowling and fiedling, though I can think of one name, S Venkatraghavan ) So it is always good to pack the eleven with as many such players as specialists who are good in just one department and if they fail on a given day, then it is all over, for the player and in most cases, for the team. Secondly, a one day game is all about playing well as a team on a given day, a great team like Australia can be beaten by any team, if they have a bad day in the office. Thirdly, one day game is all about getting it right first time, there is no second chance unlike in a test match where you can stage a recovery if you fail in the first innings or in one session. Given the above principles, I would have gone in for Raina, Kaif and Mongia instead of Kumble, Agarkar and Uttappa. My reasons for dropping these three players are: when you have ganguly, tendulkar and sehwag in the team, all of them can bat and bowl, and open the innings as well, there is no need to carry another specialist opener Uttappa. If you have these three plus Yuvraj and Mongia in your first eleven then you can afford to carry three seemers and one spinner, and if that is the case, you have four seamers in the team - Irfan, Munaf, Zaheer and Sreesant - of which, any three can play. And Harbhajan would be the first choice spinner, therefore, no point in carrying Kumble and Agarkar. Also Kumble has not been bowling all that great in the one dayers and if you pick him and he has a bad day, or even gives away 40 + runs in his ten overs, it is not a ideal situation to be in, plus he is not known for his fielding and batting abilities. Agarkar is very inconsistent, both with ball and bat, he has been given so many chances before, it is too much of a risk to play him in a world cup where you get just one chance and you cant afford to have too many players having an off day, and therefore, if someone has to be dropped out of the five seamers, then I would drop Agarkar.

My first eleven, in batting order, would be: Ganguly, Sehwag, Tendulkar, Dravid, Mongia, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Harbhajan, Irfan, Zaheer, Munaf with Kaif or Raina as the 12th man. The other two players in my 15 would be: Karthik and Sreesanth.

I believe a team like this will have more options to choose from and would also provide the necessary cover if some people have an off day with bat or ball.

best regards

Venkat
from New Delhi, India
Mobile: 98101 27990
E mail id: venmad30@hotmail.com

Sir,
I totally agree with your comments on the Indian team selection.But there is one thing I want to say which will be the most decisive thing in the world cup. India will need a very strong technical strokemaker in the middle order which is Laxman by a long way.
I am sorry to say this but India cant win this world cup without Laxman.
Same applied to the previous edition when Dinesh mongia was given a call ahead of him. I dont know if Dinesh Karthik is the most gifted fielder but we are certainly losing the most gifted strokemaker.

VVS Laxman absolutely deserves a place in the world cup squad. Dont quite understand why he was not given a chance to prove himself in the series against West Indies and Sri Lanka. He should have taken Sehwag's place.

Well said Vasu. The key point is that a different set of selectors would have come up with the same list of names. The irony is that Powar lost out to Kumble because of poor bating rather than any problem with bowling while Kumble is in the team not because he reinvented himself but because of the expectations regarding the pitch for the world cup matches.

The team chosen is good because the youngsters although given oppurtunities failed. So good luck India.

Indian World Cup squad look like a team prepared for entering up to super 8. Such a parcial selection proves the Charmain of selectors has decided this 15 before the start of westindies series and simply backstabed mohd. kaif even after performing in westindies. The Biased Indian selection committee should be dissolved.

India's achilles heel will be thier fielding and it costs India 20-30 runs over 50 overs every time.
The batting simply has to put on 280+ and that is a par score because of the above. The Indian outfield conditions are sometimes used an excuse for players not diving but that is a cop out.

Sri Lanka are a great fielding team as proven in yesterdays game.

Batting wise I think India boast asupreb line up but Tendulkar simply cannot get to 50 and get out.He needs to set his stall and bat 50 overs and see the innings through.

I am very disapointed for the Indian Team for World Cup slection. The 15members slected team only for top names for paper these are not performance in the ground. The result you saw in the South Africa and against Sri Lanka in 2 ODI match. Why the selectors ignored VVS Laxman and he is very good form.

I am not agree about Anil Kumble selection, nodoubt he is good bowler, but in one day cricket he have to resign the last match you see how is performance in Rajkot he bolwed many balls short pich, full toss and overpich to the batsman, and he can not score 10 runs in a match and he played more than 250 matches and still he learning for batting against Mahroof and Malinga. The selected players are old u have to give the chance to Young blood, Gautam Ghambir, S. Raina M. Kaif. This is the future for Indian Cricket. The slectors make only formality for the selection, our system is total wrong for the slection. I chalange this team will not qualify for Semi-final.

Yes, what you said is absolutely right. If it would be a different five selectors and they even try to pick honestly, then it would be a different side. The best and right thing this selectors shown was bringing Ganguly back in the side. India was missing him badly.

Considering Dinesh Karthik as a specialist batsman is a foolish thing. I think dropping Kaif was also not a good thing as he was the succesful batman with three half centuries in ODIs and one huge century in tests couple of months back in the same West Indies where world cup is going to take place. He is a bonus to the Indian side in the fielding department also. If we can save atleast 20 runs in the field, it is equal to 40 runs he scored. He has the experince also that he can bat in top order also. Considering Yuvraj is not fully fit and not sure of playing in WI,it is unfortunate to pick Kaif in the team.

In the batting departmnet, I think its pretty OK with Saurav, Sachin, Rahul, Uthappa, Yuvraj and Dhoni. Karthik is a wrong coice, if he is considered as a second w/k, then its ok. Otherwise I dont think even he can play single match if Yuvraj is fit.

Bowling department, is not good. Zaheer and Munaf Patel is in good form and they deserves place. Agarkar also shown consistency in the last season and he is also a good choce. But Kumble is completely out of touch in ODIs and its a wrong selection and guys like Ramesh Powar who can take wickets in regular intervals should deserve a place in the playing eleven also. As Harbhajan is not a threat to most of the batsmes nowdays, it was unfair to avoid Powar.And Sreesanth is also not a good choice, he is very good in tests, as batters will not attack regularly. But in ODIs he is completely a disater.

According to me my Indian team will be as follows

Saurav, Sachin, Dravid, Yuvraj, Kaif, Sehvag, Dhoni, Agarkar, Zaheer, Powar, Munaf.

Other five should be Harbhajan, Uthappa, Karthik(w/k),Irfan

With the level of talent available and the current form of some of the guys left out, the 15 selected are the best of the lot. Whether they are good enough to win the World Cuo is another matter altogether. The batting looks fairly settled, its the bowling which causes worry and naver mind what the bowlers did in South Africa. The wickets in the West Indies which are being relaid will be, by the look of reports, typical one day wickets, loaded in favour of the batsman.
Our bowling rarely comes good on such tracks,especially bowling first. If we bat first and post a high score then maybe,yes we can defend. Kumble looked pedestrian against Lanka. Sreesanth is expensive, Harbhajan looks more to restrict than attack, Pathan still trying to find his groove. Zaheer and Munaf look O.K. The part time bowlers, especially Sachin who seems to contributing more with the than thr regular bowlers.Speaks of the man's commitment. Yuvi and Sehwag also will have to chip in. Good luck to the boys. They will need it.

Dear Anand,
You are correct, no different a team can be selected than this one. Just reminder about people like Kaif , Raina and Laxman. Has Kaif been Man of the Match other than toe games in 2002 - his debut year - NO. Can Raina really take charge in a crunch situation - NO. When Dhoni can fail as he did yesterday - do not talk of Raina and others. Gambhir is unlucky but Ganguly can not be replaced and so is Uttappa. Where do we fit Laxman - try removing Sachin, Dravid & Sehwag or even Kartik.
The team is the best and we should not be fearing teams like SL and NZ and WI who have done marginally better than us in the recent times. When it comes to a big game Indians won't falter, and mind you this time we have a big match winner - Ganguly who is no longer Captain and already has shown high consistency of 1997-2001 when he scored in almost every game.
Now that Aus is beatable , I think Indian does have big chance of winning the WC , if they just keep the media out for two months.

With the level of talent available and the current form of some of the guys left out, the 15 selected are the best of the lot. Whether they are good enough to win the World Cuo is another matter altogether. The batting looks fairly settled, its the bowling which causes worry and naver mind what the bowlers did in South Africa. The wickets in the West Indies which are being relaid will be, by the look of reports, typical one day wickets, loaded in favour of the batsman.
Our bowling rarely comes good on such tracks,especially bowling first. If we bat first and post a high score then maybe,yes we can defend. Kumble looked pedestrian against Lanka. Sreesanth is expensive, Harbhajan looks more to restrict than attack, Pathan still trying to find his groove. Zaheer and Munaf look O.K. The part time bowlers, especially Sachin who seems to contributing more with the than thr regular bowlers.Speaks of the man's commitment. Yuvi and Sehwag also will have to chip in. Good luck to the boys. They will need it.

Hi Anand,

This surely is 'the most' balanced, fair and articulate assessment of the World Cup Selection. As an avid visitor the site, and a keen enthusiast, as also a representative of a fairly large group of like-minded cricket thinkers, I have to praise this precise, concise and, again, a very fair view. With due respect to some electronic media experts, across various news channels, I feel, barring Madan Lal, Ajay Jadeja and Srikkanth, the others are too extreme and inconsistent in their views / criticisms. It is heartening to know there are writers like you who understand that the first step in such observation is to give experts like Greg Chappell, Rahul Dravid and Dilip Vengsarkar due regard for their experience, expertise, intelligence and knowledge of current day circumstances in the Indian Cricket scene. I will be happy to keep reading future contributions from you.

Regards,

Surya

India has tottering middle order and still lacks an all rounder. A specialist spinner in ODI is too much of a burden. To play two in World Cup would be signing on death certificate. But you don't expect anything better from a conservative batsman of the past as Chief Selector, a prudish and yet conservative Captain who still believes ODI - like Tests is a 5 batsmen - 1 keeper and 5 bowler game and an old enough Coach who cannot still grow out of old ideas. The team should try and use Sehwag, Yuvraj and Tendulkar as regular 5 over plus bwlers and play an extra batsman (i.e if you can call the second keeper a batsman) - And - shame on the selectors for having left out the best ever Indian batsman (Vengsarkar should know this) - Laxman from the team. His absence cost us the 2003 Cup and this time it may not matter as India is not inthe reckoning - Anyway all the best to them as it is 'Team India'