ICC World Cup 2019: Sivaramakrishnan gives his piece of mind on India's squad

The euphoria of the ICC World Cup squad selection is all around on social media. The chief selector MSK Prasad announced the 15-man squad for the World Cup on Monday. No. 4 position, well balanced back-up players and the inclusion of all-rounders are the most talked points so far. But, the regular performers and the responsibility on the top three in the English condition was not spoken much about.

The former right arm leggie, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan sheds light on the responsibilities Virat Kohli and top three have to shoulder to take the young Indian side to lay hands on the coveted cup. He also cited that a lot of high scores will be recorded in England during the tournament.

“I think a lot depends on how Virat Kohli bats because in England in the last two years the scores have been 300, 320, 350. So, depends on how Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan provide a good start but important for Virat Kohli to strike from very early on in the tournament. We have seen Virat Kohli once he gets those big runs in the tournament, he maintains his consistency throughout. So, the key is in the top three batsmen,” said Sivaramakrishnan while talking to CricTracker.

It is crucial to have solid middle order in an event like the World Cup if not it can be webbed by the opponents. “The middle order looks very good in likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya. I think if Virat Kohli gets going he will get a lot of support from the top order and the middle lower order. These factors hold in India in a very good spot,” added Sivaramakrishnan.

Moreover, it is very crucial to balance a team with bowling strength. MSK & Co applied a lot of thought in lining-up bowlers for the World Cup. It was a comprehensive bunch of bowlers opines Sivaramakrishnan. “India’s bowling in the recent past has been outstanding. With the three fast bowlers and two spinners making quite a bit of impact and Ravinder Jadeja also doing really well in the IPL. Jadeja’s experience in the field shows that we have got a good all-round capability in the side,” said the right-arm leggie.

Vijay Shankar, a proper fit at no. 4?

The Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar has displayed promising performances whenever he got the opportunities. But, will he make a bigger impact of holding the top three and middle order tight? That depends upon the wicket and weather conditions as well. But, selection wise Vijay’s impressive show gave confidence to the top brass.

Laxman Sivaramakrishnan gives expertise on much awaiting no. 4 spot. “Vijay Shankar has made quite a bit of an impact. It’s probably a bit of surprise to everybody but not for me. Whatever opportunities the right-hander got playing for India, he’s showed a lot of promise.

“He has shown that he can rotate strike. Virat Kohli was probably looking at no. 4. Whether no. 4 batsman will able to play spinners well and rotate the strike because Virat Kohli likes to convert 1’s into 2’s and 2’s into 3s. So that’s where Vijay really comes in handy because he is capable of playing straight. Extremely good against the spinners and the fast bowlers,” concluded the former right-arm leggie.

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