The wicketkeeping issue is not yet settled- Parthiv Patel is not as good a batsman as a top-6 bat , nor is he as good a keeper as someone from Baroda who's still trying to prove that he's good enough to make the team. He has a lot to learn, but it should be in the A-team or in domestic matches. Besides, there are 4 wicketkeepers who are as good, if not far better than him, who have not got a fair try. Even at 34, the old hero has a lot left in him.
Beisdes, there are 3 bowlers who have shown some skill with the bat. This should be used well, and not let go, as was the case with Kumble, Srinath and Joshi- they were good batsmen, but nobody (them included) helped improve their bating and as of now, none of them are capable of batting. This should not happen to Powar, Pathan and Balaji. They should be given enough opportunities to bat and they should take it. Places as high as 7/8 will help. No point leaving their skills unused at 9/10/11. The same can be said about Sehwag's bowling- no point letting it develop into part-time rubbish, he should be used as a regular stock bowler.
There is still the need for a fast bowler who can bowl at express pace- at least one. No, not just some Harmison, Jones or Butler who bowls fast but can't do anything right, but one of India's best fast bowlers who can bowl at that pace and still be of some use, someone like Brett Lee. Such bowlers are always a threat, even on flat pitches, like Shoaib Akhtar. That he bowled rubbish was a different matter.
Are Indian spinners getting a raw deal? Ganguly has been a good captain, a good motivator and backer, but he has handled the spinners like they're not with him. That's why the Indian team is in danger of losing a lot of good, talented spinners who can help the team take those extra wickets when needed. After all, a lot of Indian victories, home and away, have been won by spinners. Pace has never really been the team's main strength, so this needs to be looked at. That said, Pathan and Balaji have performed rather well. Pathan may not yet be a Wasim Akram, but when used well, can develop into an all-rounder that the team needs rather urgently. Balaji has proved to be far better than all the Blessing Mahwires and Khaled Mahmuds of international cricket and he too can be a useful lower order batsman.
Probably one of the better things that have happened. The real worry is Zaheer, who is a very good bowler when fully fit, and when he makes good use of his ability. In mid-2002, he was in good form and it carried on to the World Cup, but that final has ruined his bowling a great deal and he's trying to be a tearaway quick, when he isn't . That's why Indian bowling has sufered a great deal. He has to stay 100% fit for a long time- it does not matter how much better a 50%fit player is than a 100%fit player on the bench- if he's 50%fit, he's not good enough. He has to improve his fielding as well. He has been one of the team's better bowlers and his return to form is necessary.
Also, credit should go to Rahul Dravid who did qutie a good job as a captain, when needed. With Ganguly's injuries getting more frequent, he will have a key role to play as a captain more often.
