Will BCCI selectors bring Gautam Gambhir back?

Mumbai: The BCCI selectors will meet here on Monday to pick the team for the upcoming three-match Test series against New Zealand. The series starts on September 22 and the Kiwis led by Kane Williamson are set to arrive in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Selectors are expected not to make major changes from the 17-member squad that participated in the recent West Indies tour. But considering it is a home series, the squad is likely to be pruned down to 15 members.

Given his current form — scoring 320 runs in four Duleep Trophy innings — it’s hard for selectors not to disucuss about Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir also had a good run in the domestic season. The openers spots have become a four-way tussle with Gambhir joining the battle. M. Vijay, who missed two Tests in West Indies, has been consistent.

While K.L. Rahul made most of the opportunties he got so far, Shikhar Dhawan hasn’t been able to carry on his form, but he has the knack for scoring at the right moment. He has scored just two hundreds in remaining 21 Tests against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka respectively. He struggled against South Africa during home series and barring an innings of 84 Dhawan had hardly anything to show big against West Indies recently.

Cheteshwar Pujara also hasn’t been able to show consistency that he displayed at the start of his career. He didn’t impress in West Indies either but his double hundred in the Duleep Trophy final couldn’t have come at a better time.

Rohit Sharma has been an enigma in Tests and was given another chance in West Indies but he couldn’t grab it. He is currently in action in the Duleep Trophy final and managed 30 in the first innings. However, coach Anil Kumble has shown support for both Pujara and Rohit but selectors will be under pressure as the likes of Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer and Karun Nair are consistently knocking on the doors. Rohit has also got backing from skipper Virat Kohli for longer run. Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have formed the backbone in the middle order.

Spinners will be the key on turning tracks with the trio of R. Ashwin, Amit Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja almost a certainty. It will be interesting if selectors pick an extra spinner to give the home side that added boost.