Thankfully the management had the sense to not include him like the ECB are doing with Bairstow. These are the only two tests we play until the World Cup and potentially damaging Rahul's confidence or technique yet again isn't worth it, when Shaw or Gill are very likely to outperform him in tests.
A bit sad that we won't get to see Rohit versus Wagner though. A bowler who has made his career exploiting the nuances of the short ball versus Rohit who has a tendency to play the hook frequently would have been an interesting battle!
New Zealand pitches have been deceptively flat for quite a while now. Two spinners on those flat surfaces is quite needless and with the form Ashwin is in, leaving him out of the team would be a bad choice. Jadeja has also not been at his scintillating best with the red ball now. However, he has shown that he is capable enough as a batsman at seven with those valuable and aggressive 50s and given the recent trend of teams playing all-rounders in test cricket more frequently, I wouldn't mind him being in the side to give our main pacers a breather. He gets through his overs quickly with control too, exactly what you would want from a potential part-timer and he is a very good full-time spinner.
The sore sticking point here is Saha. The best keeper in international cricket without any doubt (at least until Foakes is back), but he seems incapable of anything more than twenty runs at this point. A true number eight and given Ashwin hasn't really shone with the bat for a while either, having him in the side leaves the batting too thin. On the other hand, I've always been in favour of Pant playing overseas tests even if Saha is the first-choice at home as his batting is a lot more valuable in overseas tests and Pant's keeping to pacers is adequate enough to compensate for any errors he might make. Saha has played only eight tests in non-Asian conditions (out which four were in West Indies) which should make this decision a straightforward one on paper.
Saini isn't the current incumbent either, this is his maiden test call-up and as much as I've criticized Umesh for wasting opportunities in overseas conditions, he is very likely to take the new ball if Ishant doesn't play which makes his inclusion another straightforward decision. For the first test:
Mayank- Shaw
- Pujara
- Kohli
- Rahane
- Pant
- Jadeja
- Ashwin
- Shami
- Umesh
- Bumrah (rest him in the ODIs if needed either, he has to play in the tests)
Gill has been marvellous for the A team and I've been wanting to see him in the main team for a year now, but Shaw deserves a chance as the incumbent. Saini can come in if we feel the need to rest Shami or Bumrah in the second game if New Zealand prove to be hopeless in tests too or else if Umesh wastes yet another chance terribly.
Couldn't care less about the ODIs, especially given how New Zealand's head coach himself is going on holiday. A home ODI series against a top three side when your team is mentally shot to pieces and he is going on a break? Even if this was planned in advance, it makes zero sense when your team is in tatters. There have been other puzzling decisions too, like the persistence with Southee for the umpteenth time or replacing a top order bat in Williamson with a middle order bat in Chapman, when a player like Will Young who has a century versus Australia away would have been the clearest and most natural replacement. Worst of all might be the decision to have Sodhi play in the first ODI alone, then withdraw him so that he can play a first-class game versus India A, when he should be fourth in line for spin duties with the red ball.
Wonder how long this farce might continue under the facade of 'perennial underdogs and classy guys punching above their weight' when are a top class side now who have been routinely embarrassing for a while now. We give far more stick to the likes of Bangladesh for such poor performances and bemusing selections these days, let alone the likes of India or Australia!
