#VK Sanju
In the film ‘Mrigaya’, there is this character who stood tall, shoulder to shoulder with Mammootty's Varunni, and that was Sunitha's Bhagyalakshmi. The film was scripted by AK Lohithadas who termed Bhagyalakshmi as a woman spluttered and crackled like mustard. Initially, national award winner Monisha, about whose acting prowess none had any doubt, was considered for the role.
But there was the unwavering belief that Monisha might not be the perfect fit for Bhagyalakshmi and so Sunita was cast for that role. As a form of penance, the story goes that Lohitdas gave Monisha the role of Malavika Nangiyar in his subsequent film ‘Kamaladalam’.
In a hypothetical scenario of Rahul Dravid, the coach of the Indian cricket team, assuming the role of a director, one notable superstar in the Indian team appears to have eluded a place in his 70mm World Cup grand frame - Mohammed Shami.
If one browses through the list of the top fast bowlers in the world today, Shami rightfully claims his place among them. However, within the cinematic landscape of Dravid’s and Rohit’s ‘Mrigaya’, the search continues to find the right role for Shami.
Shami had picked up five wickets in the match against Australia just before the World Cup. But he remained on the reserve bench when India was triumphant in all three games it played so far in the World Cup. A change in that status cannot be expected until India confirms its advancement to the next stage.
Hardik Pandya has so far fulfilled the role of a third seamer. There's no superior batter at No. 6 right now. Shardul Thakur, the fourth pacer in two matches, has only bowled a total eight overs so far. On pitches conducive to spin like the one in Chennai, Shardul will make room for Ashwin, though Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja will spearhead the spin department.
It is only because of India’s unbroken string of victories so far that criticism over keeping a world-class bowler like Shami in the reserve bench has not gathered significant traction. But, unlike the 2019 World Cup, every player in the current team has a defined role to play. This becomes evident when scrutinizing the batting line-up. In contrast to the game of musical chairs situation during the 2019 World Cup, this time around the inclusion of players like Shreyas Iyer was certain right from the outset.
The same held true for KL Rahul for whom the team management was willing to wait till the last moment. Despite carrying the label of an X-factor player and displaying sparks in the series against Australia, Suryakumar Yadav is yet to get an experimental call from Dravid even at the eleventh hour.
As always, there is no room for doubt when it comes to the first three. Ishan Kishan found himself in the playing XI only because Shubman Gill was ill. Captain Rohit Sharma leads from the front as he has proved to have more dangerous potent within the new template. Virat Kohli has anchored himself at Number 3.
Shardul's contentious inclusion primarily serves to bolster the tail-end batting strength, despite India not having had to send its lower order to bat so far. This prompts the question then of why not replace Shardul with Shami, especially when all the batsmen are in top form. The response lies in the fact that the Indian team think-tank currently harbours no intentions of a change.
The tactical approach of this team is to have versatile players suitable for various situations. That explains why Ashwin was played on the spin track and Shardul was utilized on flat ones. So far, we have seen only the substitution of Gill in the form of Ishan Kishan who can step in if Rahul is to be replaced. Surya can secure a place only if Shreyas requires a replacement. Consequently, Shami’s presence can only be a replacement for Siraj or Bumrah.
In fact, Hardik Pandya is regarded as a part-time bowler who can bowl five or six overs. His primary role is as batter at No. 6. Hardik’s physical condition does not permit him to bowl the full quota of 10 overs. In fact, if Hardik had been considered a full-fledged pace bowling all-rounder, much like the role played by Yuvraj Singh in the 2011 World Cup, the team might have opted for a specialist batter instead of Shardul, and not Shami.
The primary limitation, or perhaps the sole one biggest drawback, within the current team, is the absence of impactful part-time bowlers akin to Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina or Virender Sehwag. To date, opponents have not been able to capitalise on this weakness since Hardik functions as the sixth bowler. For the interim, India will have to adjust with Shardul and Ashwin as batters at No. 9 and 10 positions, much like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England.
With Hardik as a potent bowling backup, India’s primary emphasis will be to ensure safeguarding the No. 8 batting position from becoming a vulnerable point within the team’s lineup.
In these circumstances, it appears quite evident that Mohammed Shami's ‘Kamaladalam’ won’t hit the screens and may surprisingly find its release at the semi-final or final stages.
* The offstage actor - The title of Thikkodiyan's autobiography
