With series decided, should the untried cricketers be played?

So India have pulled off the unexpected. A one day series victory over the South Africans. What's more, the triumph has been achieved with one more game to be played. So which of the two teams have more to gain from a victory in the final game to be played at Nagpur on Sunday?

On the face of it there should be no pressure on India. A victory by a 3-1 or 4-1 margin does not make much of a difference. The South Africans, on the other hand, can still play for pride and certainly losing a series by three matches to two is better than losing it by four matches to one.

But will both teams play at full strength on Sunday? It is customary for sides placed in such a situation to rest a few leading players and give a couple of new boys the break. The temptation will be there for the Indian team management to rest stars like Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Md Azharuddin and include Nikhil Chopra, Sridharan Sriram and Md Kaif. The South Africans would be less tempted, given the fact that they have more at stake in the match.

But the point is should an India cap just be given or earned? Playing for the country is a honour and one suspects even the player concerned would like to feel that he has been selected on merit and not given his place in the side as a sort of gratis. Similarly one is not sure whether even the established stars would like to miss out on such a match, especially if they are in form. Moreover, if the new boys do well, it just might put their places in jeopardy.

In tennis, it is not uncommon for team captains to field debutants in dead rubbers in the Davis Cup. And even in one sided Test rubbers, the winning team often gives a chance to new players. It sure helps if young talent is blooded this way. All the same, one wonders if the sense of pride in the rookie will not be greater if he performs well against strong opposition and when a series is still alive.

With an important tournament in Sharjah to follow, it is unlikely that the Indians would like to experiment with the new players there. So the temptation could well be include the untried cricketers at Nagpur. And who knows? With the Indians currently riding high on the luck factor the move may pay unexpected dividends.