ICC World Cup 2019: India has managed to pick a side with little to fault

A World Cup squad is unlikely to please everyone but it was a far easier task for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors when they met skipper Virat Kohli in Mumbai on Monday. When you consider the form and ability of the players at their disposal, few matters remained unsettled. Most spots in the final 15 had already been claimed by a team that will arrive into the World Cup as a serious contender.
There was unlikely to be a repeat of 2003 when a batsman of VVS Laxman's calibre lost out to Dinesh Mongia. This time around, the conversation around the Indian side was preoccupied with the number four position – a problem area for the team even as impressive victories have been earned home and abroad. The middle-order has let India down in a few crunch situations recently. In a major tournament, little can be left to chance.
So, the BCCI selection committee sought reliability. In Dinesh Karthik, who was part of the World Cup squad in 2007, India has an experienced wicketkeeper who is familiar with the team setup. The 34-year-old seemed set to miss out on the World Cup when he was left out of the ODI series against Australia but Rishabh Pant's iffy graduation to international cricket gave the selectors cold feet. So, we ended up in a strange situation where India's preferred keeper in Tests missed out on selection for the World Cup because he is not a reliable gloveman. Read More

Article Source -> Business Standard