Dhawan vs Kohli vs Sharma: Who is the best ODI player at home?
In ODI cricket, it is often seen that the top order of any team is its biggest strength. Over the years, the batting giants of ODI teams have slowly moved from the middle order to the top order. The fact is evident in many teams - David Warner and Steve Smith for Australia, Joe Root for England and Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson for New Zealand.
The case for India is no different. Over the past two or three years, the bulk of India’s scoring has been done by three men - Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli. While players like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Ajinkya Rahane have played their part, it is the triumvirate of Dhawan-Rohit-Kohli that has led India to victory in most cases, particularly at home.
Of the three, Rohit has been on the arena the longest. Introduced into India’s wobbling middle order during the 2008 CB Series in Australia, he put in a couple of good performances which made him a good contender as a regular in the side. Though he had lean patches in following series against Sri Lanka and later in the Asia Cup, a couple of centuries in Zimbabwe paved the way for his return once more.
With both Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir out of favor, he moved up the order to the opener’s slot which he has since made his own. If there was any doubt as to whether he would succeed in his new venture, his twin double-centuries laid it to rest.
If Rohit is the oldest player by international experience, Shikhar is older in terms of domestic experience. After making his debut for Delhi in 2004, he had to wait for six years to get his chance in the international side. But he failed to make a mark, getting out for a duck.
Three years later, in 2013, he got a chance to play Australia in the Third test of the Border-Gavaskar Series and this time around he made it count with a tearaway 187, making him the fastest centurion on debut. He then had two terrific series - a home series against Australia and then the Champions Trophy, where his consistent performances earned India a series of victories.
Though he fell into a rut away from home, he came back strongly with centuries in the 2015 World Cup. Along with Rohit, Dhawan forms one of the most dangerous opening combinations in the world.
Virat has simply been India’s best player over the past few years. Scoring runs at a phenomenal rate, breaking record after record and recently leading India to a series win in Sri Lanka after 22 years, Virat has all the makings of a future legend of the game.
After a moderate debut series in Sri Lanka, Virat came of age in the home series against the same team in 2009. Scoring 54 and 107 in consecutive matches, he showed his maturity and class while chasing down big scores, at the same time being able to keep a level head in pressure situations.
While his behavior made the news for the wrong reasons, there was nothing wrong about his batting. He scored five scores of fifty and above in consecutive innings, underlining his importance to the team.
He moved up the order and met with more success, becoming the fastest Indian to reach 1000 ODI runs in the process. He was also the highest scorer for India in five consecutive calendar years, becoming India’s most dependable batsman in recent times.
With the tour of South Africa upon us, India will need to dig deep if they are to overcome the mighty Proteas in the ODIs - and these three will have to do most of the scoring. Since it is on familiar grounds, India will have a sense of relief, but they must be careful it does not turn into complacency. Looking at the last five years at home, India will think they have a good chance of winning the series.
Let us take a look of who, among India’s three top-order batsmen, is the best at home in ODIs.
Overall Numbers at Home
|
Player |
Matches |
Runs |
Average |
Best |
100/50s |
|
Shikhar Dhawan |
16 |
830 |
55.33 |
119 |
3/5 |
|
Rohit Sharma |
28 |
1443 |
65.59 |
264 |
3/7 |
|
Virat Kohli |
58 |
2599 |
55.29 |
139* |
9/15 |
The overall numbers do throw out some interesting numbers. First up, it is evident that Shikhar has played less than 20 matches at home, which would make it difficult to compare him with the other two, both of whom have played much more. But Shikhar has impressed, scoring 830 runs at an excellent average of 55.33. His fifty-to-hundred conversion rate is also good.
But perhaps the most telling statistic is that he has eight scores of fifty or more in sixteen innings at home. If Shikhar scores fifty or more in half the matches he plays, that ensures that India get a strong start and make good headway in the game.
Rohit’s career only really took off in the last two years, despite him making his debut in 2008. His two double centuries - 209 against Australia and 264 against Sri Lanka - resurrected the downward spiral he was in, and he has never looked back.
He boasts the best average among the three - 65.59, which is the second best ever average at home in the history of ODI cricket, with a minimum of 10 matches played. Though Rohit has been guilty of throwing away plenty of good starts, he has played well in times of pressure and led the team over the finishing line.