The playing eleven dilemma : who will prevail?

After all the years of drama and speculations, Sachin has finally decided to hang his boots. An inevitable decision, which had to happen more earlier than later.

But after his prescence in the dressing room for about 24 years, the batting order will definitely take a shuffle, as far as the test team is concerned.

Let us consider the possible batting order for the South African tour, which would take place after Sachin’s retirement.

While Sachin’s contribution in ODI’s will not be missed much, thanks to a stable replacement in the form of Virat Kohli. So it would be safe to assume that after Sachin’s retirement, possibly Virat Kohli will be handled the spot. Now comes the other batting positions - openers, No.5 and No.6.

With Shikar Dhawan in the form of his life, and neither of the Delhi duo of Sehwag and Gambhir showing anyform of improvement in form, it is more likely that talented yet highly inconsistent Murali Vijay will hold the spot for some time to come. Also the team has found a possible successor for Dravid in the form of Pujara.

Now comes the lower middle order. Generally, Virat Kohli used to handle the No5 position, it will be vacant after Sachin’s retirement. Moreover, No6 is generally reserved for the aggressive left handers, thanks to a trend set up by Ganguly.

Now comes the question - who will occupy the No.5 spot.

A spot which was previously handled by one of the most wristiest cricketer ever, it will require a technically sound person to occupy the spot.Kohli did play his part while batting at No5,but he is more suited at the No.4 spot. While Sehwag’s desire to bat in middle order can be definitely considered, but his performance indicate otherwise. Now it leaves us with 3 options, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, and Manoj Tiwary.

It is a tough choice, considering that all the three of them are equally talented. While Rohit and Rahane have been teammates for Mumbai Ranji team, Tiwary plays for Bengal.

Keeping the South African series in mind, it will be a tough decision as to whom to choose. All are technically sound batsmen. While Rahane follows a "Dravidish" style of batting, Rohit Sharma is extremely wristy, who plays shot with an admirable lazy elegance. Manoj Tiwary is also extremely talented, whose career was nearly in ruins thanks to a freakish injury just before a test debut. How hard can luck can be?

It could be worse for him, if we consider the South African series in mind. He lacks what the others two have- international experience. Thanks to freakish injuries and a weird rotation policy wherein he always remains in bench, Tiwary has never been able to showcase his true potential. Moreover, his temperament in foriegn conditions is unknown, as he lacks any experience in playing South African conditions, leave alone playing there. Though his aggressive style, which some compare it to that of Pieterson, has been successful in the domestic arena, it is not yet tested in foriegn conditions, against quality bowlers. This is definitely a point against him which could cause Dhoni to select one of the other two remaining batsmen.

Both Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane boast excellent first class records. While Ajinkya’s international stinct has been pretty limited, Rohit has got enough oppertunities to prove himself.

Now comes the dilemma- Whom to choose?

Ajinkya Rahane’s defensive yet effective batting style is a definite positive for him. It will be required to handle the fast bowlers of South Africa, but his relatively short height can be disadvantageous to him. Whereas Rohit Sharma is fairly tall, but he does not possess the technique which can be labelled as a typical test match technique. He is more of a fast scorer, and definitely prefers scoring at a faster rate rather than grind a bowler.

The above point could prove decisive. Consider Steyn is firing all cinders. It is more probable that Rohit will fall victim to Steyn rather than Ajinkya. While Rahane might think of playing out the bowler, Rohit might take an aggressive approach to deal the problem, which could eventually lead to his fall of wicket.

Also, Rohit’s performance in genuine fast pitches has been doubtful off late. He has performed well in par-sub-continent pitches of WestIndies, he was relatively a flop in Australia and England. But Ajinkya’s case is different. Out of his limited oppertunities, he has scored well in English pitches. Also, his performance in the Emerging players tour of Australia a few years ago had been pretty impressive.

Technically, Ajinkya Rahane would be a better choice at No 5 for the upcoming tour of South Africa. But Dhoni would definitely bring form before technicality, and most possibly he will play Rohit for No.5 spot. It will be interesting to see what Dhoni will do if Rohit fails in the first test of South African tour.