With quite a few seniors choosing to skip the one-day series in the West Indies, the seriousness is evidently missing from the event
With quite a few seniors choosing to skip the one-day series in the West Indies, the seriousness is evidently missing from the event. The four-match series starting on June 26 is seen as more of an exposure trip for the Indian youngsters.
With only four games, it is not an ideal platform for a newcomer trying to establish himself .
So it won't be easy to cement a place in the team for Mumbai lad Abhishek Nayar, selected in the India ODI squad for the first time.
But, you never know with Nayar. He was a nobody before the start of the 2008 Indian Premier League and after the first few matches, his face was adorning the Mumbai Indians' ad hoardings at prime locations across the city.
However, playing to cement a place is not something his long-term coach Naresh Churi wants Nayar to aim for.
"I would advise him to not think of cementing his place; he should play his natural game with the aim of winning for the team," said Churi, who has coached Nayar from Class IX at Shardashram (English) High School till now.
Even though he's been selected as an all-rounder, Nayar's coach believes he should concentrate on establishing himself as a batsman.
"For me, he is a genuine top-order batsman and I feel he can establish a place as a batsman. I have told him, batting is his strength and he should bat higher. He is a change bowler but because of being classed as an all-rounder, he bats lower down. He should bat higher and higher."
Nayar's batting style is highly effective as seen from his Indian Premier League performances and his average of around 44 in first-class cricket. But, given his crouched stance, the left-handed batsman does not give the impression of a specialist batsman.
Churi revealed that it is a subject that he and other Mumbai coaches have analysed thoroughly and then decided against making any change.
"As his under-19 coach, Chandrakant Pandit had told his club (Shivaji Park Gymkhana) senior, Praveen Amre to speak to Nayar about his stance. Amre in turn came to me and told me to speak to him about it.
"The only problem Nayar could face with his crouched stance was against the short ball. I had a chat with him and he said he did not have any problem dealing with the short ball. So, we decided his natural style was the best suited for him."
Given how Fidel Edwards rattled the Indian batsmen with short stuff at the World Twenty20, the line of attack of the West Indies pacers is going to be short and fast. Churi is confident Nayar's natural style will hold good.
"He proved that in the IPL by smashing sixes off Andrew Flintoff's bouncers," the coach defended.
Ultimately, it's the runs that count.
