A decent squad, on the whole, but a few questionable selections do pop up. The Save Jadeja plan is kicking into overdrive, when this unfit bloke gets a game, while Yuvraj, raking in the runs in Ranji, doesn't. No place for Pankaj, again questionable, especially when they're still persisting with Ishant, who's got neither the wickets nor the economy. Rayudu seems to have very recent form on his side, but Kedar Jadhav is a much better batsman, again unlucky to miss out. Equally surprising is the exclusion of Uthappa, who's had just four poor games last season.
While some folks say four seamers are simply not enough for the World Cup, I'd say the team needs to get the most out of their top four seamers, than pack the side with an extra who never gets a game. Always, the fifth seamer in the squad is a mere passenger, who contributes nothing. On the other hand, when you have Ashwin, Axar, Jadders (or Yuvi) in the squad, you have three batting options, plus Bucky, so four, so you can play five bowlers on pitches where batting will thrive and India's bits-and-pieces fifth bowler options will always get found out and weaken the team. The death bowling concerns are linked to their dying fortunes in the middle-overs when spinners operate. While India's part-time spinners operate well on Indian turning pitches, they're completely useless on flat decks. The best combo they have is Bucky-Mesh-Shami-Ashwin-Axar, on form and fitness.
Only one proper opener is in the side. The onus is on the other bloke, be it Rohit or Rahane, to score at a high strike rate, otherwise, he's not doing his job out there. The batting is strong, from one to six, although Rayudu's poor strike rate may be exploited by bowling sides.
