Can Vijay Shankar solve India's No. 4 crisis in ODIs?
During the second ODI, between India and Australia at Nagpur, the hosts were struggling with both the openers having gone back in the hut cheaply. This was a perfect scenario, I thought, for Ambati Rayudu to come out and make the number 4 spot his own for the foreseeable future.
But watching Rayudu struggle against spin wasn't a pleasant sight. He was playing at a strike rate of 50, and on the other hand we had the captain Virat Kohli who was scoring at almost a run a ball.
Granted the pitch was assisting spinners, but playing defensively against Glenn Maxwell, someone who is not that great a turner, didn't make much sense.
After Rayudu's painstaking innings came to a close, I was looking forward to seeing MS Dhoni come out and build an innings, and set up a challenging target. But surprise surprise, in walked Vijay Shankar.
Shankar is someone who had batted only once before in ODI cricket. But the way he played in New Zealand when India were reduced to 18/4, compiling a crucial 45, gave the fans a bit of confidence. I was eager to see what he had in store for us.
Shankar started cautiously, initially just rotating the strike, but soon the big shots came out. His flick over deep mid wicket over Marcus Stoinis was the highlight, but for me what stood out was the way he took on Adam Zampa, who has been troubling most Indian batsmen in this series.
That big stride forward to just smash the ball straight down the ground was just so pleasing to watch. In the 81-run partnership off just 71 balls, it was Shankar who dominated, which is a rare sight when the run machine Kohli is involved.
As expected, Shankar's wicket proved to be the turning point. When he was at the crease India were looking to get close to 300, but eventually they were restricted to just 250.
Shankar's fielding skills were again on display in the second innings, where he saved some crucial runs. His bowling is not yet up to the mark, but by bowling the last over he showed that he has the temperament to hold his nerve in pressure situations. That is one trait that every team is desperate for.
If Shankar can work a bit on his bowling and give the team 5-6 overs, it would be more than what the captain can ask for. Just imagine a scenario where Shankar and Hardik Pandya are playing in tandem; while one assumes the role of an innings builder, the other becomes the finisher.
These two along with Kedar Jadav would give India three all rounders, from whom Kohli could easily sneak in 20 overs.
Can Vijay Shankar be the guy who can maintain this kind of consistency, and nail that number 4 spot? If he does, a lot of India's problems will be solved.