IND vs SA | The Jaded path of stones for the young Men in Blues...

After a long season of franchise cricket, we are back to possibly what matters the most, international cricket! Though with the plethora of senior cricketers rested, are people really interested in watching the Men in Blue in action? That is up for some serious debate.

Just look at the names missing out from the long line-up - Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Surya Kumar Yadav and now KL Rahul, who was supposed to be leading the side against South Africa. 

While this could be a bold statement, this perhaps looks like one of the most incomplete line-ups India has ever fielded in the past few years.

However, while the young guns will have a lot of opportunities to prove their worth and establish why they belong in the scene, it is going to be a jaded path of stones for the young Men in Blue.

Just look at Ruturaj Gaikwad as an example. The Maharashtra-born batter has been one of the most significant emerging prospects in the past two years, and he’s elegant with the bat and dependable when you need him to play a big inning. However, he bats at the opening position. 

The cutthroat competition for the opening spot leaves no chance for the opener to make his way into the national side as a full-time member. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have consolidated their place for the position, and it’s next to impossible that the selectors would bench either their skipper or his deputy to make room for young Gaikwad.

It’s the very same when it comes to the bowling department. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are two names that are assured of starting for the national side in the coming World Cup, which leaves just one spot for grabs which will see a large crop of talent jostle for the position.

While one could say the role behind the stumps is up for grabs, be assured that Rishabh Pant is going nowhere, you’ll see him chirping behind the stumps in the next series and the following series and the one after that. So what happens to Ishan Kishan and Dinesh Karthik, who dream of standing on the biggest stage?

Well, one thing is for sure, none of the two will be donning the keeping gloves in the upcoming World Cup, while Kishan will have his job cut out for him trying to somehow occupy the opening position. But, on the other hand, Karthik has more realistic chances of making it into the squad as a finisher at number seven.

Just think of a situation where no injuries are involved. You can easily fill nine out of the eleven spots with players who are next to assured a spot in the playing eleven representing the national side in the World Cup. So what happens to the following two spots? It’s not like they are up for grab, are they?

Well, those two spots have a plethora of players who have already tossed their dice in the roulette and now cross their fingers and hope that the spinner lands on their number.