Kohli's India in selection dilemma ahead of 1st Test

  M UMBAI: Even as he is all set to pad up for his Test captaincy debut at home, Virat Kohli has a few questions staring at him - the most critical one being what would be his ideal combination in the first of the four games, at Mohali, against South Africa, the No. 1 team in the world. The answer to this complex riddle isn't easy, but if cracked, it could well be the formula applied to avenge the humiliation the tourists have heaped on India by winning the T20 and ODI series on this tour.

The chief problem for Kohli starts right at the top. There are three or probably four claimants for the opening slot. While it is most likely that Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay would open, the former's woes in the ODI series would not be lost out in the captain. He managed just 126 runs in five games@25.20.

Dhawan has slammed hundreds in his last two Tests (against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka), but make no mistake, the dashing lefthander would be under extreme pressure to retain his place in the side, especially if he fails and India go on to lose the first Test.

However, it would be foolhardy to expect a class batsman like him to stay without runs for long. The fact that he would be returning to a venue where he made a dream Test debut (187 vs Australia in March, 2013) may just fire the Delhi batsman even more.

Keeping Dhawan on his toes would be in-form KL Rahul. The youngster has already slammed a couple of hundreds in his fledgling career so far. Though the way he got out in the last Test against Lanka at the SSC (bowled while shouldering arms to incoming deliveries) left a lot to be desired."Dhawan should at least get one Test to prove his form," former India opener Chetan Chauhan told TOI on Sunday.

The other big debate revolves around Cheteshwar Pujara and to an extent, Rohit Sharma. It would be impossible to ignore Pujara especially after the way his hundred in the last game helped India clinch the game and the series against Sri Lanka in July. The fact that he did so while opening the innings provides Kohli with another tempting option. Though the No.3 position looks perfect for Pujara.

Sharma has been inconsistent in Tests he has played in so far, but there is a case for the gifted right-hander to be somehow shoehorned in, at least at No.6, considering how comfortable and dominating he has looked in the T20 and ODI series against the South African attack. He has scored two hundreds against SA on this tour so far. "It is very interesting," said former India wicketkeeper and chief selector Kiran More, while talking about the dilemma likely to confront the Indian team management over the next few days.

REFRENCES=TIMES OF INDIA