Three options for India's Middle Order
In Test Cricket, India’s middle order has never been an issue. The team has always had the middle-order batsmen of a certain caliber. Yet, this has not been the case in ODI cricket. Previously, the strategy of the team was to play typical test middle-order batsmen in those spots in ODI Cricket.
However, as the ODI game has changed over the years, India has struggled to come up with answers. India moved their best batsmen to the top order, as the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly became opening batsmen in that format. The only consistent players in the middle order were Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni.
Now in this latest generation, India has a brilliant top order in Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli. Yet the middle order problem remains: who can be a possible reliable option at No.4 and No.5.
In the first two ODIs against England, Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri opted for KL Rahul and Suresh Raina at those spots. Yet this approach’s issues was evident in the second ODI when both Rahul and Raina failed, as India struggled to chase England’s 322. This is a problem that can’t be fixed with a short-term lens- that approach has already failed.
So what are some long-term solutions to this issue, with an eye towards the 2019 World Cup?
Play MS Dhoni at 4 and add a Finisher
This is a potential change that has been discussed for a long time. At the start of his career, Dhoni was a blazing pinch-hitter who was outstanding at No.3. Later on, as he assumed the captaincy, Dhoni moved down the order to become the world’s best “finisher”.
Yet as was made clear by the ODI on Saturday, Dhoni cannot live up to that role anymore. In fact, the former captain has not hit a fifty with 100+ strike rate since the Champions Trophy. However, this does not mean that Dhoni isn’t valuable to the side anymore.
As he proved in the IPL, Dhoni can still be valuable to a world-class limited overs side, if he plays at No.4. In that role, Dhoni can be the accumulator (which he showed in the second ODI). He can nudge singles and grab the occasional boundary, while also providing additional solidity to the middle order.
Such a move would also allow India to play an additional finisher like Dinesh Karthik (or possibly Ambati Rayudu who isn’t in the squad). This would perhaps allow India to reach the 350+ totals that have become so crucial in the modern ODI game. One issue with this would be the fact that Dhoni has often been vulnerable to quality swing or spin bowling, problematic for a No. 4 batsmen.