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Who will solve India's middle-order muddle?

Roar Rookie
13th February, 2019
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Roar Rookie
13th February, 2019
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With just three and half months left until the World Cup, India are still shuffling their middle-order options.

Everything in the top three seems to be in order. The bowling department is also packed, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the charge, but everything is scattered in the middle.

Ambati Rayudu, who was almost a forgotten commodity before IPL 2018, forced his way back into Indian team to solve the middle-order muddle. A year before that, Dinesh Karthik had taken the domestic route and earnt a recall to ODIs for the Champions Trophy.

Had someone told him that he would make another comeback into the side with MS Dhoni still at the helm, he might have shooed you away. By his own admission Dhoni is the topper of the university where he is still studying.

“When it comes to Dhoni, I am studying in a university where he is the topper,” he had said during a press conference in March 2018. “He is one of the guys I have always looked up to. It is unfair to compare me with him.”

Despite the senior pros making their comebacks, the problem to iron out the flaws in the middle continues. One might say that Rayudu has done his bit to bat at No.4, but with head coach Ravi Shastri wanting Kohli to bat at No.4, the problem still lingers and probably also reveals that the confidence factor is lacking somewhere. Still, Rayudu’s seat seems to be a fixed one.

Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav – due to his bowling abilities – and Hardik Pandya select themselves automatically. There’s only one place that is left in the middle that is up for grabs, for which Karthik and Rishabh Pant will have to play the tug of war.

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Karthik, who was a part of 2007 World Cup, hasn’t played a World Cup thereafter, while Rishabh was hailed as next big thing in ODIs for the home series against Windies in 2018, when he was to be dropped from the playing XI after three ODIs in which he made 41 runs from two innings.

A track record of Karthik’s performance in the past two years in one-dayers shows that he has finished the game on occasions. He may have touched the 50-plus scores just twice in 16 innings, but he has remained not out on eight occasions, returning to the changing room only after sailing the boat past the finishing line.

Despite Dhoni getting back his finishing abilities back in ODIs at the start of the year against Australia, a backup finisher will be getting a chance in World Cup squad and India need either of Karthik and Rishabh to be ready and grab the opportunity. Let us have a look at the chances that the duo has to play World Cup.

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Rishabh Pant
His sudden rise after his success in Test format has led to the whole debate about who between him and Karthik should be in the squad for World Cup. Selectors seemed to have no plan for Rishabh a year ago. Even after ending IPL 2018 as the second-highest run-scorer with 684 runs the youngster found himself being dropped from the T20I squad. He wasn’t even good enough to play in the two T20Is against Ireland.

A sudden need for a Test wicketkeeper in absence of Wriddhiman Saha saw selectors preparing him for the Test challenge by making him play for India A on tour of England, a team for which he wasn’t a part of initially. Ironically, he sat out in the first game against Windies A and played two unofficial Tests against England Lions. A month later he made his debut in the third Test of the series against England, replacing Dinesh Karthik.

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Rishabh’s success in the longest format of the game saw him being brought back into ODIs and making his debut in the home series. Rested for Australia ODIs after the Tests Down Under, Rishabh’s chances of making it to the World Cup team hangs with a thread for now. Though he is a healthy headache to have for World Cup, chief selector MSK Prasad opined.

“Undoubtedly he (Pant) is in contention. A healthy headache. The progression of Rishabh in the last one year is phenomenal across the formats. What we actually felt is he needs a bit of maturity now, gain more experience. That is the reason we have included him in India A series wherever possible,” he told ESPNcricinfo.

Rishabh’s final shot for sealing a World Cup spot will come only if he gets selected in the squad for home Australia series, or else IPL is always there for selectors to find out options.

India's Rishabh Pant runs during their Twenty20 match at Eden Park against New Zealand.

India’s Rishabh Pant. (AP Photo/David Rowland)

Dinesh Karthik
He had every reason to be excited and hope for a place in the Champions Trophy team when Karthik was in full flow for Tamil Nadu in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2016-17. Finishing at the top of the table in the tournament, he scored 607 runs, including a century in the final that saw Tamil Nadu win the title.

“I am not going to lie. I am always dreaming to play for India. That’s the ultimate aim. Whenever you are playing for the state, you are trying to do so well so that you can play for India,” said Karthik after the final.

Not a part of the original squad for the Champions Trophy, Karthik’s blitz saw him being called up as a replacement for Manish Pandey, who was ruled out off the tournament due to a side strain. Since then Karthik has shown is finishing abilities on occasions, but still the danger of losing his place in the national side hangs over his head.

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Karthik is not a Dhoni, who has been assured of a place for the World Cup, but he is still a strong contender to do the job in the middle and in the end.

The upcoming Australia series will also be the final frontier for Karthik. Should he do well, his name would be there on the list of players who will be flying out to England. Should he fail, the competition will become fierce, with others also in the race and a final decision on who to choose between him and Rishabh left upon IPL form.

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