India in Zimbabwe 2013: Bench presses forward

With the series already won,Cheteshwar Pujara and Mohit Sharma set to make their ODI debuts.

The end of Indias routine warm-up football game,on the eve of the 4th ODI game,saw Cheteshwar Pujara making a dash to his kitbag. The urgency in his stride reminded one of the trademark haste that opening batsmen of fielding sides show while rushing to the dressing room after the fall of the oppositions final wicket. Maybe,this was how Indias Test No.3 was preparing himself for his new innings and a possible new role. Also read: A case for rotation

With the series already in Virat Kohlis back pocket,India are expected to take the field without those who have played a big role in helping the side take a 3-0 winning lead. Now,its time to test their bench. This means Pujara,in all likelihood,will replace in-form opener Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order and thus make his ODI debut. So Pujara walking out with Rohit Sharma at the start of the innings is a likely scenario at Bulawayo on Thursday. Also read: Highway stars

The Pujara-Rohit pair may be new for Indias ODI side but the two go back a long way,having spent several hours on the pitch together pulverising bowlers. Having played most of their junior cricket together,the two were room partners during the 2006 Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka. After dominating the tournament on the strength of their batting,India lost the final to Pakistan.

Pujara finished as the highest run-getter of the tournament,Rohit was a few rungs down that ladder. All through the Cup,Pujara was the opener and Rohit followed him at No.3. Their spectacular show was to catch the eyes of the selectors but the two promising juniors took different paths at the senior level. Rohit was the first to get the India break as he made the ODI side. After a stunning debut,he faltered. Semi-column: A Rohit ton with little mass

Pujara,on the other hand,had to score a mountain of runs on the domestic circuit to earn his India cap. He made the Test team and made the No.3 spot,left vacant by Rahul Dravid,his own. The big question now is: Can Pujara do an encore wearing the India blues? With this in mind,the selectors will be watching Pujara the ODI batsman with utmost interest. Also read: Jadeja – Lefty,a natural right-hand man

With an average of 65 from 13 Tests,Pujara no longer figures in the debate that focuses on the temperament of fringe players. Those in the domestic circuit consider the Saurashtra batsman as big a threat in the shorter version as he is in the longer format. A List A average of 57 has a lot to do with that reputation. In the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy last season,he led India B to the title triumph both as a captain and as a batsman. With scores of 158*,124*,79 in three games; he showed an ingrained quality of perfectly pacing his innings.

A top-order batsman with such skills is worth his weight in gold in the 50-over format,more so because of the new ODI rules. With the innings starting with two new balls,openers,while playing abroad,need to be strong on the backfoot and skilled enough to play the ball late. If Pujara finds his feet in ODIs,it might put pressure on Indias regular top-order batsmen,chiefly Rohit. When a stand-in player in a settled side makes the most of his opportunity,it triggers selection complications. Also read: Serial winners

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The other expected switch could see pacer Vinay Kumar,who has a slight hamstring strain,make way for Haryanas new-ball bowler Mohit Sharma. All-rounder Parvez Rasool too has an outside chance of making it to the playing XI but since this will involve resting the very reliable Ravindra Jadeja,skipper Kohli might opt to take a conservative approach and avoid resting too many regulars. Also read: How Unadkat got his groove back