Subramaniam Badrinath may have a genuine grouse against the selectors. He has scored runs by the ton in national first class cricket without getting a firm chance to perform and show that he belongs to the highest class. However, his omission was handled with such sympathy by the chief selector that it can be seen as a breakthrough in selection matters.

Krish Srikkanth, the chief selectors, had the good sense to ring Badri and explain how team composition had worked against his inclusion in the squad to New Zealand. Many in Badri’s position have never has the comfort or consolation of such communication from selectors.

Indian cricket history is pocked with instances of complete neglect in the cases of deserving players being left out of squads. The only phone call they may possibly get is from sympathetic captains usually blaming the selection committee for their omission. More often, players would get information on team selection only from reporters or board members.

For instance, when Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi was left out and Ajit Wadekar made captain for the West Indies tour in 1971, he came to know about it only from the morning newspapers. The change in captaincy was a major issue then with Vijay Merchant forcing the issue and using his casting vote when there was a 2-2 tie with one selector absent.

There have been several examples of fine cricketers not getting selected for national duty despite their zone selector always pressing for their inclusion. The spinner Padmakar Shivalkar was one who never got a national call while another big wicket-taking left arm spinner, Rajinder Goel, at least got to be a reserve in one series.

While the presence of Bishen Bedi simply obliterated the chances of any other left arm orthodox spinner breaking through to international cricket, any number of batsmen have found themselves at the wrong end of selection policies. Vijay Bhosle was one who scored tons of runs on flat tracks but was never considered Test material.

There have been others who have been told the strangest things by selectors who in the past were inevitably driven by their regional bias. S.V.S. Mani, a Madras batsman who was given a chance to play against the visiting MCC team was told just before the match that he had to report ‘sick’ so that another batsman could be accommodated.

The poor guy finally ended up fielding for the visiting team, which was hit by food poisoning and did not have 11 fit men to take the field. The MCC were kind to give all the substitute fielders a sweater with the famous logo but the guests were not eligible for an England cap.

What marks the Badri case is the committee is headed by a man who is a communicator and who is willing to go the extra mile to be nice to the players. It’s particularly hard for selectors to leave out players who are being nursed for national duty. And yet they cannot go around ringing every fringe player that they may have had to leave out.

There have been many batsmen like Badri who have made plenty of runs on the domestic scene and yet not even got a look-in. The Tamil Nadu batsman’s case is different because has been earmarked for higher honours and yet must get accustomed to being left out now and then because the country has so many batsmen in form and performing.

Greater cricketers have been left out for reasons of squad composition and Badri’s omission came about because a captain would always opt for the additional opening batsman for a tour of New Zealand where the ball can really move around in late summer or early autumn into which India will be arriving in the Antipodes.

It is a general rule of thumb that batsmen suffer injuries less often and so more are available for selection. A number of fit fast bowlers are making the tour. But this is one department that can expect the most number of injuries. The selectors have done their bit in picking a balanced combination and it is up to Team India to defy history and win a Test in NZ for the first time in 33 years.