Such is the competition to get into the Indian cricket team that even after winning a World Cup, your spot isn’t guaranteed. Shivam Dube, who was holding a trophy in front of thousands of fans in Mumbai a month ago, might have to warm the bench in the IND vs SL 1st ODI. The southpaw is witnessing the best period of his career so far and yet won’t make the cut. It won’t be a big name like Hardik Pandya who’ll force him to rest, but youngster Riyan Parag, who’s played just 6 matches for the Men in Blue so far.
Riyan Parag’s impressive record
The 22-year-old made his debut less than a month ago against Zimbabwe and has scored just 57 runs for India in 6 matches. His record with the ball hasn’t been the best either, with just 3 wickets to his name. These numbers aren’t great, but they don’t show the full picture. In Zimbabwe, Parag got to bat just twice and bowled just one over. That’s a pretty small sample size.
In Sri Lanka, his record was slightly better with the bat, but he got to bat just twice as well. However, it was with the ball that he shined. The off-spinner was the seventh-highest wicket-taker in the T20I series and was the most economical bowler in the whole series (among those who played all matches).
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Pitch more than important than performance
One could easily say that T20 performance shouldn’t be a barometer for selectors in ODIs, and that’s completely right. But it’s not his underwhelming record as much as the R. Premadasa Stadium’s pitch that could help Riyan Parag make his ODI debut. Also, he won’t be India’s second or third spinner, but fourth after Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar.
Team India has been going in with multiple bowling options for a while now, and his selection would mean the same. While Shivam Dube would be handy with his medium pace, Parag could prove to be lethal on a surface that offers big spin. Mind you, he was regularly spinning the ball more than Ravi Bishnoi in the T20Is, and that was when batters were looking to attack him constantly.
In the ODIs, he would have the chance to give more air to the ball. The batters won’t take him on from the first ball, and he won’t be under pressure. Also, he won’t necessarily be asked to bowl ten overs. He’d be brought in if the pacers are under the pump or, in the case of a favourable match-up, when a left-hander is on the crease. Remember that Washington Sundar would be on the team as well, and he’s an off-spinner as well, so Parag could be used in tandem with him.
Riyan Parag’s List A record
| Mat | Runs | Avg (Bat) | Wkts | Avg (Bowl) | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 1720 | 41.95 | 50 | 31 | 4.93 |
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