The MS Dhoni/Rishabh Pant conundrum
India find themselves in a bemusing position with the ICC World Cup just 7 months away. They have tried their level best to be patient and let the MS Dhoni problem solve itself with time. Each time in the last few series they have taken the field hoping to find a solution to this MS Dhoni enigma, it amplifies itself.
It is not just the MS Dhoni failures that are the concern but rather its Rishabh Pant's success on the international scaffold that is fretting Indian selectors and management.
In the recently concluded Test match between India and Windies, Rishabh scored an expeditious 92, missing out on his second back-to-back hundred.
Most former players and experts have been bidding for Rishabh Pant in ODIs even if MS Dhoni plays in the side. India's No.4 position is still undecided after copious trails it won't be unwise to try him at 4.
The kind of game-changing ability that Rishabh possesses it would be silly of Indian team management to overlook him for the World Cup next year. They can at least test him out in the ODI series against the Windies by resting MS Dhoni or playing Rishabh at 4.
Dhoni, on the other hand, will look to shut the critics up with his performances and there won't be a better chance to do the same, playing against a relatively weaker side that too in home conditions should make it easy for him.
If India don't find a solution to their middle order issues including MS Dhoni then they might find themselves in a similar situation as in the Champions Trophy where the top order shields the other batsmen, but at the final moment, if they fail, it all comes down crashing.
The series against Windies can be the final chance for the Indian team as they would be playing tougher oppositions after that and may not get a chance to experiment.