Final ODI: Time to Experiment and Not Indulge in Half-Measures

If press reports are to be believed (TOI announced that Dhoni was going to be named captain, while it turned out to be Kumble) it appears that India is ready to experiment in the last ODI. There is no question that this is a great opportunity to explore some new talent. It is important to take this experiment all the way without half measures. Experimenting with a Rohit Sharma in the middle order and opening the innings with Tendulkar in such prolific form makes little sense. Including young players in the team is of use only if they are given full exposure. 

As for the rest of then team, Sehwag who should consider himself lucky to be in the team must be given a chance to redeem himself at the top of the order, Gambhir could return to his opening slot, Uthappa could be promoted back to his number 3 position, followed by Rohit Sharma. Lastly, India would do well to revert back to the five bowler combination because ultimately India needs five bowlers including an all-rounder (Irfan Pathan) to be able to win consistently. This means India would do well to rest Sachin, Ganguly, RP Singh, and Zaheer Khan for this game.