3 prime candidates for India's number 4 position in ODIs
India was playing quite well in the league stage of the World Cup and topped it. This was possible due to the fabulous batting display by the top order. In the semi-finals, when the top order collapsed, the middle order couldn't cope with the pressure and played rash shots at the wrong time.
The problem of finding a suitable player for the no. 4 position was there before the World Cup. Unfortunately, the selectors tried too many players without really giving a long rope to anyone. Hence, India played three different players in this position at the World Cup due to injuries at critical moments.
It is high time for the selectors to sort out this problem and give suitable opportunities to players to establish themselves in this position in the upcoming tours.
Let us have a look at the three prime candidates for India's no. 4 position in ODIs.
#3 Ajinkya Rahane
Ajinkya Rahane has been in and out of the ODI set up in the last couple of years. Despite being regarded as a technically sound batsman capable of playing the seamers fluently in overseas conditions, he has struggled to rotate the strike against spinners in the middle-overs. The latter ended up being the prime reason for his snub from the World Cup set up despite having an upper hand in the English conditions.
Nonetheless, his performance in the 2015 World Cup at no. 4 position was praiseworthy and full of elegance. In 25 innings, Rahane has scored 843 runs at an average of 36.65 at no. 4 spot in the batting line-up. If he can handle the spinners better, he can make a case for himself for the no. 4 spot in the current team.
#2 Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant was the replacement for the injured Vijay Shankar in the last few matches of the league stage and the semi-finals. His performances in the limited opportunities presented to him in the World Cup were promising and showed glimpses of his potential.
The cons are that he is impatient, does not play as per the situation demands, and has a tendency not to respect the good deliveries. Having scored 116 runs in 4 innings with the highest score of 48 at the no. 4 position in the World Cup, the selectors need to give a long rope to him to see whether he can overcome his difficulties and perform.