Yuvraj should be fit for the World Cup but I wouldn't count on him to play in this series. That said, the middle-order slots around Dravid boil down to Laxman, Kaif, Badrinath and Mongia. Laxman is experienced, classy and the Aussie-killer we may want in the ranks if we somehow get to the final against the champions again. Kaif is an underrated batsman who will fight in tough situations and a superb cover fielder. Badrinath has been ridiculously consistent in domestic and A-level cricket in recent times and is a brilliant, versatile fielder. Mongia is able with the bat, decent in the field and will definitely allow us to field a four-man attack, especially on the slow tracks of WI. There is a wild-card as well in Raina, who had a wretched time in the past few months but may grab some attention with another century in the final round of Ranji Trophy action. In form, he can rotate the strike and energize the fielding unit; most likely, his performance in South Africa will ensure that he will have to wait to make his comeback bid. Thoughts?
We will probably take four middle-order batsmen, three opening batsmen, two wicketkeepers, two spinners and four seamers to the World Cup.
