While Team India came short of addressing their dismal overseas Test performances yet again – them being ‘competitive’ notwithstanding – it’s time to look at what is becoming an Achilles heel for the ODI team; the middle order conundrum!
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Since the 2015 world cup, India has tried 10 players at the no. 4 position and (hold your horses!) 15 players at no. 5! Those are by far the most by any team – and that’s not all.
The no. 4 averages 35 per wicket during this period, which ranks 10th in all the teams playing ODI cricket (and there are only 14 of them, 5 of them being associates). The no. 5 averages 33, and ranks 6th.
On the other hand, India bosses the top three rankings in terms of average runs scored. So, there is a definite chink in the armour that needs to be addressed. With the world cup just months away, India cannot afford to lax further.
Indian cricket is currently blessed to have so many good players vying for different slots. From a problem of plenty, India has gone to an actual middle order crisis in ODI cricket of late.
Let’s break it down. In the current batting line up, the top three, Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni walk into the XI.
Yes, I know the Dhoni debate is something which is popular and will never die until the time Dhoni actually retires, but his red-hot IPL form and the wily old fox that he is, makes him irreplaceable until the time he hangs up the boots.
So, five out of seven slots are fixed.
Now, we need to figure out who should bat where. I definitely think Kohli should not give up his no. 3 slot, say for adjusting KL Rahul in the side. One should never weaken their strength in order to strengthen their weakness – and Kohli is our strength.
Coming to the no. 4 and 5 contenders, we have KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Kedhar Jadhav, Shreyas Iyer and Ambati Rayadu. Personally, I would throw Dhoni as well into the no. 4 debate, but I doubt management would consider.
Let’s be honest, the top three are going to win us the most matches and score the higher percentage of runs. What India needs is a middle order that inspires confidence so, if India are 2/10 or 3/20, it’s not game over! That has become the recent trend if the top three fails.
We need someone who has good technique, so if they need to come early they can weather the storm and later accelerate. Or, if coming in after the 30th over, they can maintain the momentum.
That’s why I think MSD is the best candidate, as he can absorb the pressure better than others and can also go big at the end of the innings. Also, by coming at no. 4, it gives him the additional time to settle down.
Is Dhoni the answer to India’s woes? (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
My other top contender would be KL Rahul. He has all the shots in the book and is too good a talent to sit out – he just needs to be given a consistent run.
Rahane would be my next best bet since he’s done well in the past against quality attacks and has the technique. Plus, these two give you the reserve openers option in case someone is injured or sick.
Kedhar Jadhav pips out Karthik as no. 5 in my book just because of his ability to bowl a few overs. Both Karthik and Jadhav have shown good ability to finish off matches, good composure, and they can strike well too – all things you need from a no. 5 or 6.
I think India can try a KL Rahul, Jadhav, Dhoni, Pandya combo (at nos. 4-7) or a Dhoni, Karthik, Jadhav, Pandya combo as well. Rahane could be alternatively be tried at Rahul’s position.
Unfortunately, I think that’s the end of the rope for Suresh Raina. He has been a wonderful servant for the white ball cricket though.
Shreyas Iyer, oddly though finds himself out of favuor despite scoring runs the last time he played. But his game against the moving ball (Dharamshala) didn’t look convincing.
Ambati Rayadu had a terrific IPL 2018 and deserves to be in the squad for the manner in which he played – could be used as a floater too.
Manish Pandey is a busy player but at times he seems to be slow for the liking. Also, didn’t grab the limited opportunities he got against Australia at home. Consistency in international matches is also a concern for him.
It’s high time India got their middle order puzzle right. The team as well as players are not going to benefit by constant shuffling and chopping.
A player is picked for two or three matches, then is dropped, then another player picked and the cycle continues. They just need to give these talented players a longer rope, and they’ll do fine.
They should not go with the objective of ‘we have five or six players and 15-20 matches, try each one out.’
Sadly no. Otherwise we’ll be still having this debate until the world cup has arrived.