World Cup 2019: How India can line up their batting without Shikhar Dhawan against Pakistan
After their comprehensive win against Australia, the Indian cricket team were hit with a massive setback after it emerged that opener Shikhar Dhawan could plausibly be out for the entirety of June. Tests on his thumb injury sustained during his century against Australia revealed a fracture, an injury which would need a minimum of three weeks to recuperate from.
Ever since then, the side have been left with a massive void in their squad. The BCCI were quick to send wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant as a backup to Dhawan but didn’t name the player in India’s 15 man squad, a move which would curtail Dhawan’s campaign.
Ahead of their invigorating clash against Pakistan, one of the biggest questions for India is how do they work around this massive loss. Whilst KL Rahul is set to open alongside Rohit Sharma, something the team management had affirmed for the side’s contest against New Zealand, the move leaves India with a gaping hole in the middle-order. We take a look at the possible combinations for India’s new look middle-order for today’s match.
#1 Opening Stand
KL Rahul is almost certain to be called up to open the innings alongside Rohit Sharma. With a dearth of specialist openers in the current squad, the Rahul is set to be asked to hold the brunt of this responsibility and try to play the perfect partner to an exquisite Rohit, perhaps the way he supported him in the opening match against South Africa.
#2 Number 4 slot
What Rahul’s elevation up the order does is leave the side with another question to answer and perhaps an even more important one than the opening slot. Who do they look to rope into the number 4 spot, a position which has for quite some time now been the side’s biggest headache?
In conditions where batting might go on to be an arduous spot, this rile becomes all the more pivotal and India need to ensure they come up with the perfect answer to the impending question.
#1 Vijay Shankar to come to the fore
Before Rahul’s 100 against Bangladesh in the warm-up match, the number 4 slot looked all but set for Vijay Shankar. The selectors had cited his abilities as both a batsman and a bowler for picking him for the World Cup and given Shankar’s recent showings in the role, the spot was his to take up.
It looks like he could finally be accorded playing time at the World Cup in this position. Shankar is someone who knows how to see past the treacherous moving ball, unfazed by a trajectory aimed at perturbing batsmen. He’s always good for a 30 run innings as well, something which could prove to be useful for India especially if the overcast weather renders batting difficult.
#2 Elevate MS Dhoni up the order
Another move India could look to indulge themselves is moving MS Dhoni up a spot to the number 4 position. He batted here against South Africa and managed to successfully get India past the finishing line without any jitters with a well made innings of 34.
He’s looked in good touch this World Cup, constructing well aware and patient innings, just the kind needed for this role. Shankar, Pandya and Kedar Jadhav can succeed him, adding the much needed stability to India’s batting unit.
#3 Use the experience of Dinesh Karthik the batsman
Although this is one of the unlikeliest scenarios, given Dinesh Karthik’s turbulent form in recent times, however, if Karthik decides to bid his time out in the middle, he can turn out to be a wise pick. The initial part of the innings is where Karthik struggles but once he has his feet set at the crease, he can not only play a big, long innings but also seriously find the boundaries in the 45-50 over period.
#2 Playing Ravindra Jadeja at the number 7 position
What Dhawan’s injury also does to the Indian side is leave them without a left-hand bat at the moment. The right hand-left hand combination is India at the moment will be traversing for and Ravindra Jadeja is the man to end their scrimmage. He was seen getting an extended batting session in India's practice session as well, something which alludes towards his pick today.
He showed in the warm-up encounter against New Zealand that he’s regained his touch with bat and can be banked upon to more than just heave the bat in the death overs. If India see themselves caught in a predicament where wickets fall early, Jadeja can be asked to come up above Jadhav as well and play out a patient and determined knock to take his side to a respectable total.
He can replace Kuldeep Yadav and bolster up both the batting and bowling ranks for the side.
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