da 888： An India A tour is usually an outlet for burgeoningaspiration and steep ambition, and the late-summerEnglish tour could prove decisive for many fringecricketers – something John Wright drove home on twoseparate occasions while helping out at the
Wisden comment by Samanth Subramanian22-Jun-2003An India A tour is usually an outlet for burgeoningaspiration and steep ambition, and the late-summerEnglish tour could prove decisive for many fringecricketers – something John Wright drove home on twoseparate occasions while helping out at the trainingcamp in Bangalore.In early June, Wright assured theIndia A squad that a lack of consistency inthe national side could cost any cricketer his place. His later comments were moreforceful, almost dismissive of domestic cricketers whoseemed defeatist about fighting their way into astar-packed team. “I have no time or place for playerswith an attitude like that … they need a kicking,”said Wright. “Anyone wanting to get into the team hasto believe that he can take Sachin Tendulkar or RahulDravid’s place.”Wright’s statement may seem mere encouraging rhetoric;Tendulkar and Dravid are already legends in their ownlifetime, and short of a concentrated charge ofexplosives, nothing looks likely to dislodge them fromthe side. But embedded as the two men may be, theline-up itself is far from settled. Potentially up forgrabs are two opening slots, the third fast bowler’sposition, as well as those of wicketkeeper-batsman,left-arm spinner and – despite Anil Kumble’s recent brave statements- legspinner.In the India A squad to tour England inJune-August, there are at least 10 players – out of 16- who could vie for those vacancies. GautamGambhir, Shiv Sunder Das and Wasim Jaffer are allcandidates for the top two slots and, indeed, haveopened for India in the past. The tour will bedecisive for Gambhir in particular; he hasconsistently racked up runs on A tours, and if he doeswell in England, the national selectors would find itdifficult to ignore him further, especially for a slotin which they are constantly making do with ad-hocsolutions.Four fast bowlers – L Balaji, Aavishkar Salvi, AmitBhandari and Irfan Pathan Jr – are realisticcontenders for a place in the pace attack, especiallysince Javagal Srinath looks quite decisively on theway out. Salvi shone with the A team in the WestIndies and, after playing in the TVS Cup, is perhapsthe most likely pick. But if Balaji – after numerousconsecutive Ranji five-wicket hauls – can bolster hisreputation with some sound bowling abroad, Salvi willface stiff competition.Murali Kartik and Amit Mishra too are ex-India caps,trying to winkle out a spinner’s role for themselves.Kartik’s talent is apparent, but in four Tests, he hasbowled only as many overs as Muttiah Muralitharansometimes bowls in a single game. Wickets inrelatively unfriendly English conditions may earn himthe recall – and confidence – he wants. When NewZealand tour India later this year, spin will be highon the selectors’ wishlist, and both Kartik and Mishrawould relish bowling against New Zealand at home.Parthiv Patel will also be under scrutiny. He may befirst-choice Test wicketkeeper at present, but he mustconsolidate his position with his batting, to whichend he has even been pushed up the order for thistour. With Rahul Dravid apparently not wanting to keepwicket any more in one-day internationals, that slotis also open – but the man who fills it must be acanny batsman.The Indian middle order is the hardest part of theline-up to break into. Hemang Badani did retain afairly regular one-day spot for some time, andAmbati Rayudu’s talent may even breach that rarefiedbastion of the Indian team.A tours are far and away the best method to getnoticed. Not only do the exposure and experience addto a player’s repertoire, but sterling performances inalien conditions will speak more eloquently than astring of domestic centuries. Ask Yuvraj Singh andMohammad Kaif, both of whom cut their teeth onage-group and India A tours rather than in the RanjiTrophy.