After a long time the national selection committee will have their hands full as they sit to pick the ODI squad for the home series against Australia on Thursday. And it isn’t just a coincidence that this day of dilemma has come following the end of India’s long winning streak in one-dayers .

In wake of the Champions Trophy debacle earlier this month, chopping and changing is on the cards as India look to pull their socks to face the all-conquering Aussies.

The big decision facing the committee revolves around Rahul Dravid, the 36-year-old who was recalled after a two year hiatus from the ODI squad to be part of the middle-order in wake of the ‘Gen Next’ batsmen’s struggle against short balls on lively tracks. His scores of 14, 47, 39, 76 and 4 after his comeback don’t quite make him the obvious fall guy. But with Virender Sehwag’s shoulder healed and Yuvraj Singh too said to be fit, it remains to be seen if Dravid retains his place in the side.

If the batting line-up will see a lively debate among the selectors, the same is true for the bowling department and the all-rounders’ spot. During India’s forgettable Champions Trophy campaign, the Indian skipper MS Dhoni has repeatedly insisted that the pacers were found wanting and he also minced no words when he pointed at the lack of quality of the all-rounders at his disposal.

With Sehwag not travelling to South Africa and Yuvraj injured before the first game in Champions Trophy, Dhoni didn’t have his usual part-time spinners to share the bowling burden. And that meant, India desperately missed the bits-and-pieces player. All-rounder Yusuf Pathan’s inconsistency and Dhoni’s lack of confidence in Abhishek Nayar’s pace bowling meant India struggled in the all-important middle-overs after the frontline bowlers didn’t create pressure at the start of the innings.

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