Opinion: MS Dhoni should be played as floater despite brilliance at number four
One of the biggest positives from India’s ODI series victory in Australia is undoubtedly the batting form shown by MS Dhoni. Before this series, and even during the first match of the series at Sydney, there were question marks over Dhoni’s position as a batsman in India’s line-up.
However, his brilliance with the bat in the last two matches has proved beyond doubt that he still has a lot to contribute as a batsman. There was never an iota of doubt regarding his position in the team as India’s best wicket-keeper and an integral part of the on-field leadership unit along with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Now, with him showing signs of good form with the bat, India’s batting looks in much better shape. However, there is still some uncertainty regarding his batting position.
There are many, including Rohit Sharma, who feel that Dhoni should bat at number four. Considering his vast experience and brilliant reading of the game, the suggestion does have its merit.
But it will perhaps be in India’s best interest to not give a fixed position in the batting line-up to Dhoni. In relatively low-scoring chases such as the one in the Melbourne ODI, he is a perfect fit at number four.
But if the target is much bigger, then it would make more sense to have someone else as number four. Because as Sanjay Manjrekar said in his post-match analysis, despite Dhoni’s brilliance with the bat in the series, it would be unfair to expect him to be able to play big shots at will, the way he was able to execute during his heydays.
Dhoni still retains a sharp tactical mind while batting and is an astute reader of the game. However, when it comes to accelerating, especially at the beginning of his innings, he does struggle. So, if he is sent in at number four when the target is too steep, his body may fail him though his mind won’t.
So, sending Kedar Jadhav or Dinesh Karthik at number four in those situations may be more ideal. If the selectors decide to give another chance to Rishabh Pant purely as a batsman, he could be used at number four in some matches where the pitch is flat and a bigger score is expected.
Having fixed batting positions is a great idea in theory. As it is, India does have a fixed top three. But beyond that, there is no harm in keeping the number four position flexible, depending on the conditions and match situation.
In the post-match interview, when asked about his preferred batting position, Dhoni replied that it does not matter whether he bats at numbers four, five or six. It all depends on what maximises India’s shot at a victory.
So, there is no reason to fix a batting position for the great man. Instead, India could use their most experienced batsman at different positions, depending on the situation at hand.