India stare at familiar woes with middle-order muddle
Coach Dravid says they will give security and stability to the contenders but wants big scores in return
NEW DELHI: It’s been two-and-ahalf years since the 2019 ODI World Cup, but India’s middleorder conundrum–a key factor behind their semi-final exit in England–continues to remain unsolved.
Before the ODI series that concluded on Sunday, Shreyas Iyer was the incumbent at the problematic No. 4 spot and got the nod in the XI ahead of the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan in South Africa as expected. As it turned out, Rishabh Pant batted at No. 4 through the series to allow for a left-right combination–he made an impact in the second game with 85–and Iyer batted at 5. But Iyer’s underwhelming return of 54 runs in three matches allowed a gilded opportunity to go begging. Suryakumar Yadav came in at No. 6 instead of Venkatesh Iyer for the final ODI on Sunday and showed his versatility with a 32-ball 39. It doesn’t make matters easier though. The No. 6 spot should ideally be reserved for someone who can also play the role of a sixth bowler.
It is why India went with Venkatesh in the first two games even though he bowled just five overs across the two ODIs and didn’t get going with the bat. It is still early days for him, but the lurking presence of Hardik Pandya means that Venkatesh will have to make his chances count. At the end of the three ODIs then, India remain far from finding any fixes with their 0-3 loss being an “eye-opener”.
“This series has been a good eye-opener for us,” coach Rahul Dravid said of his first overseas assignment. “We certainly could do better with the batting in the middle overs. It is an opportunity to reflect and learn. The team has not played a lot of oneday cricket since the last World Cup. We need to look to keep improving.”
Where does Rahul fit?
If you think the duel for either No. 4 or 5 is confined to a choice between Yadav and Iyer, there is more complexity in store. With Shikhar Dhawan continuing to score runs at the top, what should India do with KL Rahul once Rohit Sharma is fit and available? Rahul averages 52 in the middle-order in ODIs and is arguably too good to not find a place at all. Will Rahul pip both Iyer and Yadav then and take his place alongside Pant in the middle?
It is a question Dravid will have to carefully consider ahead of the 2023 World Cup at home. For now, he is trying to give the likes of Iyer a fair run.
“We have been trying to give them as extended a run as we possibly can. That was the whole idea even on this trip,” Dravid said. “If you see, we didn’t change the middle-order apart from bringing in Suryakumar for the last game. We certainly want to give them consistency and security. Once you give people that, you also have to demand big performances because that is an expectation at this level. But the idea is to give as much stability as possible.”
The seam bowling all-rounder slot is a conundrum as well. There are again more contenders than just Venkatesh and Pandya. Once left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja returns from injury, he can bat at No. 6 if needed and open up the No. 7 slot for seamers who are handy with the bat like Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur.
Lessons from 2019 WC
Having these options is a good starting point, but as India found to their dismay in the 2019 World Cup, it is futile unless the right players are identified well in time for the big event and then backed all the way through. Ambati Rayudu was the designated No. 4 for many months leading up to the tournament in England and then was overlooked in favour of Vijay Shankar at the eleventh hour.
Similar clutter seems to exist right now. Dravid insisted they have a broad outline in place, but wasn’t willing to put an exact date to when clarity will emerge on the core of the WC squad.
“I don’t know if there is an exact time frame. It is an evolving process or journey,” Dravid said. “We already have a certain amount of clarity on the roles that we expect from players and a large part of that has been communicated to them. There is a broad template in place. As you get closer and closer, you start narrowing that focus.”