Selectors had 'detailed discussions' with Dhoni - Patil

Sandeep Patil, India's chairman of selectors, has expressed concerns over the Indian team's performances, and said the panel has discussed "a few issues" with the team management. The way Ajinkya Rahane is being used - captain one day, carrying drinks the other; batting at No. 3 one day, 6 the other - was definitely one of the issues, but Patil said they discussed other things too. But he said he retained faith in the ODI captain MS Dhoni, the team director Ravi Shastri, and the support staff. India have lost both the Twenty20 internationals to South Africa, and two out of the first three ODIs.

"It is not [about being] happy or not happy," Patil said about India's performance in the series against South Africa so far. "We are concerned. The two selectors with the Indian team had a word with the team management and the captain. Today also we had a detailed discussion with the captain.

"It is not about worrying. Every time they win we feel good. Every time the Indian team lose we feel bad. Nobody is happy about losing the game we should have won. Besides that, we still back the team we have chosen, we still back the ideas, we still back the team management, the support staff. We want them to do well. The areas we felt that needed looking into have been discussed, and I hope that the team management and the captain will give a good thought to it."

Patil was asked whose fault it was that the India captain feels the No 5, 6 and 7 slots are unsettled. Has he not got the teams he wanted or have the selectors not shown enough foresight?

"I have said this earlier too, and I'd like to clarify once again, that our jurisdiction is to give the captain the team which not only the captain wants but the team which the selectors feel will do well, looking at the form of that particular player, looking at the slot for which he has been chosen, looking at the opposition," Patil said. "I think we are still on the same page. Whether it is the captain, whether it is the director, whether it is the team management, the support staff, whether it is the BCCI.

"All selectors feel we have picked the best combination. The final selection of the XI is always left to the team management. That's why earlier when I was asked if we have discussed this issue, yes we have discussed this issue, we were worried about a few things. I hope things will work better hereafter."

In recent Indian cricket, for the selectors to even discuss these issues and then acknowledge that issues exist is almost unheard of. A necessitating factor could be the way Rahane is being used. The captain has said he is an excellent ODI batsman against the new ball or against the old ball on quick pitches - which basically leaves him either a slot in the already packed top order or none at all. Yet he was played at No. 3 twice, with Virat Kohli having to move down to 4. In those two ODIs he scored 60 off 82 in a chase of 304 and 51 off 63 in India's first-innings total of 247 for 9. In the third ODI Rahane was moved down, but perhaps because of the rapidly rising asking rate he was pushed all the way down to No. 6.

Patil insisted Rahane was not the only matter of concern. "We have discussed not only Ajinkya but other players also with the captain and the team management," Patil said. "Me and my co-selectors have had a word with the director [Shastri] also. But this is always left to the team management and the captain. We have limitations. We have no complaints but we have limitations. We discuss and we agree to a conclusion, and finally decide the combination of 15 players, but it is always left to them to pick the final XI and the batting and bowling order."

When asked if he was satisfied with the way Rahane was being handled, Patil remained non-committal. "It is not whether I am satisfied or if we are satisfied," Patil said. "As I said we have full confidence in our captain and team management and the director. We have discussed these issues. Not only regarding Ajinkya Rahane. There were a few more issues. We have discussed them with the team management and the captain. I am sure they will give good thought to it."