Mumbai: Former India cricketer Roger Binny – the leading wicket-taker in the 1983 World Cup – will be the man under pressure when Team India start their title defence in ICC World Cup 2015. Stuart, his son, is in the squad whose inclusion sparked a massive debate among pundits and fans. But going by genes, the junior Binny ought to shine in Australia. Why? Let’s find out.
Roger, a competitive fielder and swing bowler, during his times, has saved India many a times from the jaws of defeat and knows the Australian conditions well. Remember his exploits in the 1985 World Championship? He ended up claiming 17 wickets.
Stuart has been modelled on a similar temperament – swing bowler and all-rounder. Though his best bowling performance came against minnows Bangladesh, one cannot dismiss the achievement as a stroke of luck as conceding just four runs with a six-for is not even possible in roadside cricket.
Nonetheless, Stuart may not have shone as expected in One Day Internationals (ODI) but he has always been among wickets – 13 wickets in nine ODIs at an average of 14.15.
However, it seems Stuart took a leaf out of his father’s book when his 44 against England in the recently concluded ODI triangular series gave India a ray of hope.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni maintained his stance of asking for a pace-bowling all-rounder in the hard Australian pitches. On top of that, the swing Stuart offers can come handy in New Zealand too.
Being a steady batsman, he can provide the much needed resistance at No 7 or 8 while chasing a big total and go for the shots during the slog overs. He will add depth to India’s batting along with Akshar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
There is also no doubt about his shot selections. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he troubled Ashish Nehra to Johan Botha. Stuart’s advantage lies in how he uses the straight bat to play risk-free shots.
Now, it remains to be seen whether he can do an encore of the senior Binny. The knowledge-sharing between the father-son duo may have already started. The world awaits the execution.
