The year 2016 is starting with an uphill task put forth for the Indians. The tour of Australia, the current world champions, will be a tour of composure, confidence and courage for the Indians. With MS Dhoni's captaincy under scrutiny after bad tours against Bangladesh and South Africa, winning the series here would mean that Dhoni is here to stay and lead the Men-In-Blue.
Let us check out a few players who could make the difference and help India in winning the series.
Virat Kohli
Off late, the 27-year-old Test skipper hasn't been at his best in the short form of the game. Though he has done exceptionally in the Tests, he needs to step up and prove that he is the same guy who scored at his will in 50-over format. Kohli finding form will be crucial for India. His form will be accessed under hawk-eye by the critics and fans as he is our leading batsman in the team. His forgetful average of 15 against the Aussies in Australia needs to improve. When Kohli finds form, it is almost impossible to stop him from plundering runs. This makes him the most important batsman in the team.
Ravichandran Ashwin
The 29-year old off spinner is currently the best bowler in the world. The bowling attack will be lead by him even though the tracks assist pace bowling. When the pacers tend to become ineffective, Dhoni might give Ashwin the new ball to bowl with. One can be sure that Ashwin would be miser in conceding runs, but it will important for him to pick up wickets at regular intervals to keep the mighty Aussies at bay. This intelligent bowler will surely have his plans sorted out for stopping players like Warner and Smith from smashing runs. His combination with Jadeja will also influence the match. The latter has been playing very well recently. The spin duo would try and restrict the kangaroos in the middle overs.
Ajinkya Rahane
He is a silent warrior. This Mumbaikar's contributions in terms of runs are tremendous. At present he is the most consistent batsman in the team. This gives the reason why he has been compared with "The Wall". His playing style has been very similar to Rahul Dravid and his contributions too. He is one of the best fielders in the world and will be on his toes during this series. On a day where batsman struggle, the team will surely rely on him to pave them ways to score runs. The longer time he gets to play at the crease, the better it is.
Barinder Sran
It is a surprise that this left-handed fast bowler has been selected. People were of the opinion that the selectors would not experiment much with the new players overseas. But this is a bold move. The 23-year-old Punjab bowler may come in handy. After having a stupendous domestic season especially during the Vijay Hazare tournament, he has caught the selectors' attention. Dhoni might play him in every match because he is the only left handed paceman. He sure doesn't bat well, but his bowling is good at present. Perhaps he may be the next Zak in the making.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
With the exclusion of Suresh Raina, our own MSD has to shoulder the burden of the lower middle order. After great captaincy during the World Cup, he hasn't won any series, thereafter. This sure is the right time for him to bounce back and lead India to glory. After including a lot of fresh faces in the squad, Dhoni has to work with them and lead from front. His words of wisdom and encouragement will be a great asset for players like Kohli who need to find form and players who are new and inexperienced. Dhoni's captaincy offers full freedom to express a player's potential as he is ready to bite the bullet so that the team excels.
