Should Sehwag play in the middle order?

Virender Sehwag – time to move down the order?

Saying that India had a very bad 2012 would be an understatement; for the team did not have a single happy moment to recollect. The retirements of the stalwarts, not to mention the whitewash against Australia, and a series loss back home against England just about sums up the disaster India were put through by its cricketing ‘heroes.’

Heads are starting to roll everywhere and the comeback stars aren’t spared much of a thought either. Yuvraj was sacked, Zaheer was sent to nurse his injuries, and a certain Ravindra Jadeja was introduced. It wasn’t much if you do not take his back-to-back triple centuries into account. Yet, the rude fact is that India is still trying to fill the big boots of the departed stalwarts.

In this current scenario, names are being tossed up and performances are scrutinized by the people in charge. A good performance at the right time has mattered for certain youngsters; however, the million dollar question about the squad’s credentials can be answered only after the series.

One look at the squad announced for the  Border-Gavaskar Trophy and you would realize that you are never going to see “Rahul Dravid” or “VVS Laxman” on the team sheet any more, but the youngsters are showing promise and it would be harsh to write them off even before giving them a chance.

India is historically known for its struggles in the first Test of any series and, therefore, they need to get this monkey off their backs by getting off the mark at the first given chance. The opening pair, the forte of Team India, is missing its sharpness this time around, with a new set of openers plus Virender Sehwag.

Gambhir has been dropped, and rightly so. Sehwag could be going the same way if he does not wants to pull up his socks and perform. A couple of interesting combinations could be discussed with the selection of the trio of Ajinkya Rahane, Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan. Any combination could be tried out; though I am sure Virender Sehwag would love to stay at the top for the irresistible urge to hit the fast bowler through the line.

But the wise thing for Sehwag would be to drop down a couple of notches to play at number five and let Ajinkya Rahane open the innings along with Shikhar Dhawan.

It would be crude to not let Sehwag at the opponents at the earliest opportunity available, but form is not on his side, and the fast bowlers, especially the left-armers, would love to exploit his lack of footwork. Sehwag is not known for his patience; therefore, it would be crucial for the team to have him in the middle once the shine is off the cherry.

Shikhar Dhawan, on his part, has been in terrific form playing for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. The selectors have found a vis-a-vis replacement for Gautam Gambhir. The Delhi south-paw is a run accumulator and a player who can unleash shots on all sides of the ground. He can play both aggressive and defensive cricket.

Can Rahane replace Sehwag at the top?

Ajinkya Rahane, on the other hand, is a run machine, much like Cheteshwar Pujara in the domestic circuit. His presence at the top could prove a master-stroke, for he could play well along with someone like Dhawan. They could complement each other, and being a left-right combination, they could prove difficult for any erring bowlers.

The middle order is otherwise set, with Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Sachin Tendulkar forming the crux of the batting. If Sehwag chooses to play in the middle order, the line-up could be hugely boosted; for his immaculate presence could strengthen the team.

Ravindra Jadeja would take up his place at number seven for his indispensable all-round abilities. He could be a vital weapon with his wily left-arm bowling, as teams from outside the sub-continent have struggled to face left arm slow bowling in the past.

The other players would be the same old faces, but the skipper could spring a surprise on us by picking Harbhajan Singh. We have always relied on our batting to get the better of our opponents, and it isn’t going to be different this time around. The form of the batsmen is crucial, and if they are going to let us down against the inexperienced Australian fast bowlers, then we have only ourselves to blame.