India vs England: Inclusion of Varun Chakravarthy for ODIs, ‘mystery’ or providence!

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Does one compliment the BCCI selection committee or call them a bunch of jokers for decisions that they have been taking? Right from the time Gautam Gambhir took over as coach of Team India, many players have been fast-tracked and on-boarded into the Indian team.

It first happened for the BGT Series Down Under, which is like a horror movie you want to forget but still end up watching again and again in replays! So, as the Indian caravan rolled into Nagpur for an ODI series against England on Tuesday, the presence of Varun Chakravarthy added more spin.

No pun, Varun in the mix has become important after a dominating display in the T20 series against the Englishmen. The 'mystery spinner' bamboozled the Englishmen, so Varun getting noticed is nice. Again, this time, it is not the brain trust that has fast-tracked Varun Chakravarthy into the ODI squad.

Quintessentially known as a cunning bowler in the T20 format with his exploits being stand-out for KKR in the IPL 2024 and now the T20 series, Varun earned lavish praise. These days, the stuff that retired R. Ashwin puts out on his social media handles and YouTube makes him a super selector of sorts.

He had been pressing, rather than predicting, that Varun should get a call-up. And the same was also endorsed by DK - Dinesh Karthik, another shrewd cricketer. Obviously, Ajit Agarkar, chairman of the selection committee, and his motley mix have not come out smiling like roses for decisions that they have made vis-a-vis selection.

They have done their job as inefficiently as old 'sarkari clerks' who were reluctant to push files. In this case, the BCCI woke up and sent a press release for Varun on Tuesday. So, does Varun become the cynosure, now, or is he going to challenge the regular spinners already named for the Champions Trophy by the BCCI?

There is talk, that conditions for the forthcoming ODI series will be simulated, which means preparing wickets that could be low and slow like Dubai. Hope that does not boomerang on India! If you look at it from a performance point of view, there is reason to feel happy Varun is there for the ODIs as well.

The way world cricket is headed, the T20 explosion has become like the Covid 19 pandemic. You cannot kill it. It (T20 cricket) has reached every nook and corner like a virus. At the same time, with a few well-known Indian businessmen showing massive interest in 'The Hundred' format and buying teams in England, cricket is commerce first.

Varun, at 33, is not a late bloomer. In fact, age should not be looked at as a criterion at all. He has been a steady performer and has that zing and zest. Imagine, someone like Ravindra Jadeja goes to the Ranji Trophy and proves he can still run through sides to prove he is still relevant.

Then you also have Axar Patel, an unfit Kuldeep Yadav making a return. No, not from domestic cricket, but from the NCA in Bengaluru. So, why not throw the ball to Varun? If there is a challenge of sorts, it will be interesting to see if he can show the same guile and genius in a longer format. After all bowling four overs and ten has now become a marathon of sorts.

Imagine, 42 years ago when India won the World Cup at Lords, the ODI was becoming the in-thing. The 50-over format is now dwindling. It is too long, for some people. Folks want instant stuff, like unhealthy noodles which can be prepared in three minutes.

Yet, the challenge for cricket is not existential, all formats are thriving. Can Varun adapt to the ODIs? If that is a question, he will have to prove himself. Mentally, Varun is on a high. And if he does the job against England in the ODIs, one may well see his name being added to the team list for Dubai.