As selectors pick Asia Cup team, it will set tone for India's bid to find a core for World CupNEW DELHI: Seldom has there been a selection meeting for an Indian team that has generated as much anticipation as the one slated to happen here on Monday afternoon.As chief selector Ajit Agarkarsits down for only his second meeting on the job, he will have to find a way to clear confusion and bring consistency in the ranks as the selectors pick the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.This team will in all probability be the template team for the ODI World Cup due to start in India in October.Tough fitness callsOver the last one year, the ODI team under Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid has been hamstrung by injuries to key players like KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna.While Bumrah and Krishna are currently playing a T20I series in Ireland, Rahul and Iyer's fitness reports have kept Indian cricket on the edge for a while now.The call that the selectors need to take is that if they are willing to punt on players who have played little cricket in the last five months.

The general consensus is that the board doesn't want to repeat what happened with Bumrah last year when he was rushed back for a series just ahead of the T20 World Cup with disastrous consequences.BCCI secretary Jay Shah last month had said no player will directly be picked for the World Cup if he hasn't proved his fitness prior to the tournament.Need for consistencyIndia's white-ball teams have been plagued with inconsistent selections in the last two years leading to uneven performances.

The biggest challenge for the selectors, Rohit and Dravid is to find consistency in selection in the next two assignments prior to the World Cup given there are so many players returning from serious injuries."The idea is to have consistency in selection for Asia Cup so that the core of the team is ready for the World Cup.

But there have to be options ready if any of the senior players don't make it.

Hence, there could be two extra players picked for the Asia Cup," a BCCI source told TOI.

It will also be debated who the vice-captain will be given the board is not entirely happy with the way Hardik Pandya has led the T20I team.The middle muddleWith uncertainty over Rahul, Iyer and Pant, India's struggle to find a steady middle-order has got trickier.

TOI understands that the team is keen to have a left-handed option in the top-order.

Rahul's fitness to be on the field for 50 overs is yet to be determined.

Wicket-keeping could also be pushing his body.Ishan Kishan seems to be the other obvious wicket-keeping option.

But the team management would want him to also adapt to bat in the middle overs.

It's likely that the selectors and the team management won't mind persisting with Suryakumar Yadav to be an impact option in the middle-order.Extra pacer or seam-bowling allrounder?There is likely to be a debate on having Krishna or a seam-bowling allrounder in Shardul Thakur.

India's batting depth in white-ball cricket has been questionable for some time now.

But the team management had identified Krishna as a longer format prospect after Bumrah and Mohammad Shami due to his extra height which could be disconcerting for batters.