Author: Liam

It seems that India is looking to go into the World Cup 2015 without Yuvraj Singh.

The Punjab lad hasn’t been a part of the Indian side that is currently playing a 5-match series against England.

It’s Ajinkya Rahane who is batting at no. 4 for India in that series in Yuvraj’s absence.

The Indian captain MS Dhoni has hinted  in quite a few of his interviews of late that he considers Rahane a very suitable player for that crucial second down position especially on seaming pitches.

A large section of the Indian fans though still believe that Yuvraj is a better ODI player than Rahane and should be brought back into the team, but, certainly, the Indian think tank is not on the same page.

However, to be fair to Dhoni and the Indian selectors, they gave Yuvraj a long run in the One Day Internationals last season, but, he underperformed which led to his axing.

Yuvraj could have made a case for his comeback if he had batted brilliantly in the World T20 Championship as Raina did, but, he was unable to do that. He, in fact, played pathetic cricket in the final of that tournament scoring just 11 runs off 21 balls.

So, Yuvraj’s own form has been responsible for him not being in the mix at the moment, but, the left hander is a big player and the big players often shine at big stages.

Yuvraj was not playing great cricket ahead of the last World Cup either, but, Dhoni showed confidence in him at that time and he won India the tournament.

That might happen next year as well only if Dhoni is ready to back Yuvraj again which seems highly unlikely considering the Indian captain’s recent policy of persisting with young players.

Yuvraj Singh scored a hundred for the Rest of the World XI in the exhibition match against MCC XI the other day at Lord’s.

It was a vintage Yuvraj knock. With a lethal combination of power and timing, he devastated the MCC bowling line up and took the total of his team close to 300.

Yuvraj’s effort was not enough though as the target posted by ROW got hunted down quite easily by MCC at the end, but, the shots that the Punjab leftie played during his knock, the spectators at Lord’s would remember that for some time.

Yuvraj was not fluent when he walked in first up. He was struggling to pick Saeed Ajmal’s incoming delivery, but, once the left arm spinners i.e. Daniel Vettori and Aaron Finch were given the ball, he started finding his touch slowly.

Finch helped Yuvraj with a couple of full tosses which got launched over midwicket, deep into the stands.

The opposition captain Sachin Tendulkar tried a bit of short stuff too against Yuvraj by bringing Shaun Tait into the attack, but, it didn’t work as the southpaw was getting on the top of those deliveries efficiently.

It was Sachin himself who got Yuvraj out at the end by bowling him a straighter delivery with a leg sinning action.

Yuvraj tried to loft it over long on with the spin, but, since it didn’t come in, he couldn’t get it right in his hitting arch and thus, mistimed it. The fielder who was being placed on the boundary did the rest of the work by completing the catch.

Yuvraj while returning to the pavilion received a pat on the back from each and every MCC player and he deserved that for rising to the occasion and playing that kind of a knock.