Dilip Vengsarkar thinks the onus to provide Test cricketers to the India cricket team doesn’t fall upon the Ranji Trophy but rather on the National Cricket Academy (NCA). As the former Indian chief selector and the 1983 World Cup winner, Vengsarkar knew a few things about winning and constructing a team.
“I always felt the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru can play a very important role because they should be the supply line to Test match cricket. We now have a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence. There is a robust plan and program in place for the India U19 and A teams. You must get the next crop of players from there (NCA),” Vengsarkar told RevSportz.
BCCI & VVS Laxman planning for India’s Test future
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has a tough task at hand with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja most likely leaving the Indian Test side in the next couple of years. Ravichandran Ashwin has already retired, and Mohammed Shami’s fitness remains uncertain.
Knowing they need to develop players, the NCA head, VVS Laxman, wants to revive ‘India A’ tours. Under his predecessor, Rahul Dravid, they thrived, and several of the current players came into the Test side based on the exposure they had playing away from India. The BCCI has awarded fast bowling contracts to young pace prospects and recently upgraded the NCA (to the Centre of Excellence).
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The transition won’t be easy, but the board is working towards it. As Vengsarkar said, Laxman and the NCA will have a huge role to play. Finding replacements for batters might not be that difficult, but finding apt options for bowlers might be very tough.
Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma, who were great third and fourth fast bowlers, have been moved on from. And Jasprit Bumrah and his fitness will always remain a concern as well. Of course, the hole Ashwin has left and Jadeja will leave won’t be easy to fill either.
