A glance at the RoI squad suggests that the position taken by the selectors can be debated. The RoI squad as it was originally picked, consisted of 4 middle order batsmen - Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Kaif, 1 opening batsman - Jaffer, 2 wicketkeepers - Dhoni and Patel, 3 spinners - Kumble, Harbhajan and Ojha, and 4 fast bowlers - Zaheer, Ishant, RP Singh and Ashok Dinda. The selectors have clearly decided that Parthiv Patel should open the batting for RoI along with Wasim Jaffer. I can see why Patel had to be picked, given his performances last season, but it is evident that the selectors don't think there is anyone compelling to be considered enough for the opening position apart from Gambhir and Jaffer.

Even if there wasn't, this policy of conflating Patel the wicketkeeper batsman, with a specialist opener, especially for a game like the Irani Trophy is puzzling. I can understand the selectors doing it in a Test Match, since it is a stop gap measure and gives the Test team more flexibility if Irfan Pathan or Parthiv Patel open the batting. But surely, the Rest of India side in the Irani Trophy doesn't need to make such a compromise in the interests of balance. Would it not be more valuable to see another specialist opener (Robin Uthappa and Ajinkya Rahane come to mind) being tested by Ishant Sharma and Ashish Nehra? Parthiv Patel is never going to be selected to play for India as a specialist batsman in any case. If they had to pick a stop-gap option, would it not have been more advisible to select a bowler who could bat a bit, instead of a second wicket-keeper? At least a bowler who can open the batting will give India the option of playing five bowlers against Australia without compromising on batting depth.

I suspect that the decision to go with Patel had to do with the pecking order that most selection committees invariably build up. There seems to be an unspoken order in which fringe players get their chance. Yuvraj Singh for example, long considered the batsman in waiting to take up a middle order spot the moment one became available, has been dropped down that pecking order, with Kaif and possibly even Badrinath moving up above him. Parthiv Patel's brilliant 179 against Mumbai in last year's Irani Trophy game may have something to do with his selection as well.

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