Jockeying for India’s No 4 spot
WORLD CUP SELECTION With a single batting slot up for grabs, IPL is seen as the perfect stage by many batsmen to make an impression before selectors finalise the squad
NEW DELHI: The No 4 slot is acknowledged as India’s problem area going into the World Cup. After the one-day series loss to Australia here on Wednesday, skipper Virat Kohli cryptically said a change was in the offing.
“As a side combination-wise we are sorted. As a team, condition-based, you’ll get to see only one change,” he said, referring to the World Cup squad deadline of April 23. The ‘watch the space’ is interpreted as Indian Premier League assessment.
KL Rahul and Ambati Rayudu were front-runners but the Delhi game saw Rishabh Pant -back-up to MS Dhoni -- and Vijay Shankar -- understudy to Hardik Pandya – bat at No 4 and 5 and fail.
The race seems to be truly on. Ajinkya Rahane has experience, is a brilliant fielder, will be an extra captain and is a middle-order bat too. But the Rajasthan Royals skipper is not in great form and is not an ODI regular.
The No 4 problem is understandable because Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli often leave little for the next man, but when they do, it calls for a steady hand who has the ability to dictate the innings.
And while Test middle-order batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, Adam Gilchrist and Sourav Ganguly have been great ODI openers, top-order batsmen haven’t taken to ODI middle-order that easily. Rahul is a case in point.
For India, Yuvraj Singh and Rahul Dravid have contributed in contrasting styles at ODI No 4.
MANY CONTENDERS
A few top-order batsmen are vying for the World Cup spot through the IPL route.
Karnataka opener Mayank Agarwal is brimming with confidence after an impressive Test debut in Australia and just hit a match-winning 85 not out in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy final against Maharashtra before his IPL stint with King’s XI Punjab.
The 28-year-old may not have played an ODI, but if the selectors don’t see the World Cup as too much of a risk, he has great credentials – prolific run-getter, sharp fielder and a naturally aggressive batsman with proper technique if the top three fail.
Prithvi Shaw is back after the ankle injury suffered in Australia and he and his Delhi Capitals IPL team skipper Shreyas Iyer can also aspire for a call-up.
Shreyas, 24, hit two back-toback fifties on ODI debut against Sri Lanka in 2017, but was dropped after two failures in the series in South Africa in 2018. But the Mumbai player is a domestic batting force and is keen.
“I back myself at any number, I am just waiting for my chance,” he smiled, at a media interaction by Delhi Capitals on Saturday.
“It’s not at all frustrating, I am doing well in every tournament, just enjoying cricket right now. I am not thinking about the selection process.
You can always get a random call from the selectors, but currently my focus is on IPL.
“If I get a great start (in IPL), it’s really going to impact selection. They are going to think about me.”
MINDSET MATTERS
Prithvi Shaw, 19, is ready to repeat the process that took him to a Test debut last year against West Indies, and an impressive show. Is he ready to switch to the middle-order?
“When I open, my mindset is different -- there is power play, (only) two men outside, the gaps are already there. I am going to change my mindset when I go down the order. I see a lot of experienced players on TV, (and) I see myself too if I go down, what I am going to do there. It’s all about how you approach the game, the situation,” he said at the IPL team’s event.
If Rahane is anxious, the Rajasthan Royals skipper is not showing it. “The approach won’t be any different (with World Cup approaching) because in the end you are playing cricket, be it IPL or any other tournament. You have to score runs, do well for the team… If I do well in IPL, the World Cup (slot) will automatically come,” he told IANS.
Former skipper Sourav Ganguly has an interesting solution – pick Cheteshwar Pujara, the man in the form of his life to do a job Rahul Dravid used to.
“I am going to say something that might not sound believable to many viewers and a lot of people might laugh at my suggestion. But for me, Pujara should be India’s No 4 in ODIs. His fielding might be a bit weak but he is a very good batsman… if you want a quality batsman who is better than the options India has tried of late, Pujara is the best choice,” he told India TV.
› theysay
I’ve asked ‘mentally how you are being so consistent in each game, how is your approach? (He said) “just be blind, don’t see the crowd here and there. It’s just you and the ball. Just play your game.’ He said ‘whenever you go to bat, think how you can win it for the team’.
PRITHVI SHAW, on chat with Virat Kohli