Possible elevens

A quick note on Mukul Kesavan's musing on the Indian selection dilemma, which contains this passage:

So, for the first Test: Karthik, Jaffer, Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman, Dhoni, Zaheer, Sreesanth, Kumble and RP Singh. This is the team that I think will be picked: but if Dravid wants extra batting oomph, a bowling option and the team's best outfielder, he'll pick Yuvraj over Dhoni and make Karthik open and keep wickets

Interestingly, this was the same team I had picked last month on hearing the selection of the Indian team. Now, I don't mean to be suggesting plagiarism or anything like that, for this team selection is just pretty obvious. Kumble, Dravid and Tendulkar are certainties; Karthik has pretty much booked his place; the best three seamers are in there (and India will not pick a second spinner for the first test in England); Ganguly will not make way for Yuvraj (which incidentally is where I disagree with Kesavan for Singh has enough class to play in the top six of a test match - surely Kesavan has not forgotten his ton at Lahore?) What I find interesting about Kesavan's selection comments is the almost-heretical suggestion that Dhoni's place be put up for grabs (its not heretical to me; just, I imagine, to a whole bunch of folks out there). But all in all, I think India will play with the XI above, unless they do something really silly and drop Jaffer for Gambhir. I never thought the day would come when I would root for a Mumbai boy over a Delhi boy but I must sacrifice any city chauvinism at the altar of the greater national good. (Though I must admit, Gambhir will do better in the sledging stakes than Jaffer - small consolation that).