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Friday, May 30, 2008
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India’s dream team from the IPL

Special Correspondent

As the Twenty20 tournament reaches its climax, The Hindu picks the best talent

The DLF-Indian Premier League (IPL) has allowed the country’s domestic talent the opportunity to rate itself against world-class opposition. Fifty-six league matches done, The Hindu’s sports team selects India’s best Twenty20 team from the tournament.

In matters of composition, balance and variety are everything. A world-beating side must afford its captain a selection of the finest, most varied cutting edges so he may arrange his weaponry to suit the conditions of battle.

In the context of batting, the diversity should, ideally, extend beyond the obvious mix of right- and left-handers. The Hindu’s batting unit comprises men who score their runs differently: their striking arcs are varied, as consequently are their scoring zones. Some — Yusuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar — have made a high proportion of their runs in boundaries; others — Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina — have ensured a low percentage of dot balls (deliveries that aren’t scored of). Virender Sehwag, incredibly, has managed both.

The opening pair of Sehwag and Gambhir needs no altering. Their chemistry has been one of the highlights of the IPL. Moreover, they have successfully co-opted Shikhar Dhawan, combining with the number-three batsman for some of the tournament’s best partnerships.

With Yusuf proving a surprisingly versatile batsman, Sharma showing the ability to score quickly (and attractively) in difficult conditions, and Raina displaying maturity in holding Chennai’s middle-order together, the batting appears eminently capable. M.S. Dhoni, who will lead the side, adds immeasurably — few batsmen are as tactically aware; fewer still express themselves as naturally under pressure.

The bowling was chosen with an emphasis on potency and economy. It is not an easy alliance, for often the choice of length during the quest for wickets betrays attempts at miserliness. Yet three — Irfan Pathan, Amit Mishra, and Ashok Dinda — have gone at under seven an over. All the bowlers selected have handled the format’s unremitting pressure admirably — V. Yomahesh’s haul of four wickets with Delhi’s semifinal spot on the line, a case in point. Sreesanth and Manpreet Gony have often swung the opening contests, while Irfan, barring the mauling by Sourav Ganguly, has bowled well at the death.

The fielding sorts itself out: the side chosen has a blend of sound, opportunistic in-fielders and mobile boundary-riders with good throwing arms.

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