Why Should India Play Tendulkar in All The ODI Games This Series ?
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and team management's 'rotation policy' for the sake of giving Rohit Sharma the much-needed exposure has come under a lot of flak, since is at the cost of senior openers in the side.
While the first ODI of the Commonwealth Bank tri-nation series saw Virender Sehwag being rested, the second against Sri Lanka had Gautam Gambhir warming the benches and this one had Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar on the sidelines.
Microblogging site twitter went abuzz after India's playing XI was announced on Sunday. Sachin Tendulkar's name was omitted and Gautam Gambhir was included instead.
"Indians rotation policy has Sachin rested today, word is he's not playing shouldn't you play best XI?" Former Aussies cricketer Tom Moody tweeted.
Former England cricketer and commentator Tony Greig tweeted: "Tendulkar rested - that's a disgrace as is the resting of Hussey!!!! What about the cricket lovers?"
"TV networks should receive a rebate on TV rights fees if stars are rested and the same should apply to those who have bought tickets," said Greig in his second tweet.
Providing justification to the rotation policy, skipper MS Dhoni had said earlier, "We would look to rotate (in Adelaide also). I want Rohit to play as many games as possible. It gives him an opportunity to get set. We can afford to give him chances in the first leg of the tournament."
"We can afford to do that in the first leg of the tournament. So that is what we will do. Hopefully we will rotate the openers. You may see the same openers again," he had added in Perth.
However, going by past records, the move could end up hurting the beleaguered team.
In the last 22 years, India has won only five matches against the hosts in Australia and Tendulkar has always featured prominently in all those victories.
It took India a good dozen years to beat Australia again after being hammered for 11 straight matches. In 2003-04, India beat Australia by 19 runs at Gabba. Tendulkar this time weighed in with 86 runs off 95 balls with eight fours. And India actually topped 300 runs on the scoreboard.
India's next three wins came all in one golden summer of 2007-08 series. It began in Melbourne where India, chasing a relatively modest total of 159, won with five wickets to spare. Tendulkar top scored with 44 from 54 balls with three fours.
India then won two straight finals to claim their first-ever one-day series in Australia. In the first finals in Sydney, Tendulkar slammed 117 off 120 balls with 10 fours to allow India to canter home with six wickets to spare. The target of 240 was achieved with 25 balls to spare.
Two days later, the two teams clashed again in the second finals in Adelaide. India set the pace early with 258 runs on the board. Tendulkar once again pounded off 91 runs off 121 balls with seven fours.
The stats above have two pointers -- one, Tendulkar still is key to India's chances against Australia. Two, without one or the other opener firing successfully, India has never been able to pin down Australia.
It also brings the two other openers -- Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir -- under the scanner.
Sehwag, over three tours, has played 10 matches against Australia. His best is no better than 37 and in all, he has made 180 runs from these 10 matches at an average of 18.00.
Gambhir, in contrast, offers much more promise. He has 230 runs from seven matches at an average of 32.86 against the hosts. He has also slammed a century against Australia, a stroke-filled 113 at Sydney during the last tour of 2007-08.
Between Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Manoj Tiwary, there is an experience of no more than 10 matches played against the hosts in Australia.
Sharma, who scored a half century in the first finals of the last triangular in 2008, has played seven matches against Australia. The rest have played a match each with only 37 runs between them.
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