Pant down, but selectors right

India's Dinesh Karthik during a net session at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on August 16, 2018. Pic/Getty Images

There were eyebrows raised when Syed Kirmani did not make the 1979 World Cup squad which had uncapped stumper Surinder Khanna from Delhi. Many years later, there was no place for illustrious batsman VVS Laxman in Sourav Ganguly's 2003 World Cup squad which accommodated Dinesh Mongia. Barring these two instances, World Cup cricket selections have generally been non-controversial affairs in this part of the world.

The MSK Prasad-headed selection panel (and Virat Kohli as well, it must be said) agreed to include Dinesh Karthik. Chief selector Prasad touched upon Karthik's ability to close games at the post-selection press conference and this is what sealed his place. But the Tamil Nadu player also got in because of his sound wicketkeeping.

Yes, the World Cup selection was a safe one, but this is not a tournament to experiment. If the selectors feared Rishabh Pant wouldn't be tidy behind the stumps if pressed into action, they are justified because that's what happened when he got his chance against Australia. A fumbling wicketkeeper is one of the worst things for a side to cope with and there have been cases of a struggling wicketkeeper affecting the fortunes of a team.

Pant has a large number of sympathisers. And there is some merit in ruing the fact that India don't have the explosive batting option in their team. Some pundits reckon that Pant could have solved India's No.4 batting puzzle if played purely as a batsman. The counter to that is, how good would Pant, who is not used to fielding, be in the field?

Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly, both World Cup captains for their respective countries and torchbearers of IPL franchise Delhi Capitals, who Pant plays for, batted for his inclusion in the World Cup team. Ponting dramatically said that the southpaw would be the first man he'd pick in India's squad. "With that kind of talent, he can win you a World Cup… he has just got that x-factor," remarked Ponting, while Ganguly said, "If you send Rishabh at No. 4, he will score runs for you because he is so talented, he has got so much time to play." The selectors were not swayed.

Pant would now be like a wounded lion and the IPL form he displays from here on, will be interesting to watch. The challenge to keep coming up with significant scores will re-energise him. I suspect the white ball will be hit with greater force and he'll also look for perfect timing.

Meanwhile, Karthik has every right to feel good about himself. There was a time when he was all set to be India's No. 1 keeper. Then Dhoni came along and changed the face of Indian cricket, making it doubly hard for those who hoped for a game in one-day and Test cricket. Karthik kept the faith and did everything in his powers to stay important. On March 18, 2018, he hit the most important last-ball six of his career which eventuated in India's T20 Nidahas Trophy title triumph. India were without Dhoni for that tournament and Karthik, in a way, emerged from the great man's shadow. His final strike belies the importance of his innings - 29 not out off eight balls, coming in when his side needed 34 off 12 balls.

Karthik's England experience will come handy too; the 2007 tour more than the last one in 2018. He had 50-plus scores in each of the three Tests of that victorious series and was unlucky to miss his hundred by nine runs in the final tussle at the Oval. As he put on 127 for the second wicket with his captain Rahul Dravid, visiting journalists like me in the Oval press box were renewing hope to watch the emergence of India's first centurion of the series. Probably dazzled by the swing James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom were producing (Dravid was bowled by Anderson's late swing), Karthik played a rare loose shot to Sidebottom and offered a catch to wicketkeeper Matt Prior. He was also part of the victorious 2013 Champions Trophy team in England, where he and Dhoni figured together in all games, the best one being against West Indies at the Oval where his unbeaten 51 helped India ease through their 234-run target.

As India now prepare to challenge the world and the critics burn their midnight oil to find a weakness in this team, Pant's exclusion remains a talking point. As mentioned before, he has Kirmani and Laxman for company in that chapter of World Cup exclusions. Both these southern stars, in a way, hit back at the selectors through their performance. Kirmani was adjudged best wicketkeeper in the first World Cup he figured in (1983) while Laxman showed how wrong the selectors (and skipper Ganguly) were by not picking him for the Southern Africa World Cup by slamming three centuries in the 2003-04 VB triangular series Down Under. Two of the three were against world champions Australia.

If history is anything to by, Pant won't be down for long.

mid-day's group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance. He tweets @ClaytonMurzello Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates