World Cup 2019: Why MS Dhoni should bat higher for India’s upcoming games

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MS Dhoni

The Indian team is currently having a good time in England. They have lost only one out of their seven games, but former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has won the coveted trophy before, is not enjoying a great run of form.

The veteran has scored 188 runs at an average of 47, which is not bad by any means. However, his strike rate of 91 has raised quite a few eyebrows. His approach to the game was always under scrutiny, and after a ‘slow’ knock against England, the floodgates to 'expert' comments opened.

But Virat Kohli has already shut his haters down, stating that Dhoni’s understanding of the game is second to none. In this situation, given the position India are in, dropping Dhoni is certainly not on the cards. This leads us to a very pertinent question – where should Dhoni bat to be more effective?

The man from Jharkhand takes time to settle down, which is known to all. Once he is set, he sees the cricket ball like a football and hits it all around the park, but in this World Cup, he has batted at positions that require him to have a go right from the first ball.

For obvious reasons, he has failed to do so, becoming a magnet for criticism. Batting at number four might be the answer to all the questions. Dhoni’s average of 50 jumps to 56 when he bats at four. His strike rate sees a rise too, which jumps from 87 to 92. 

The Indian batting order is heavily reliant on the top three, and need an experienced played in number four. Youngster Rishabh Pant, who batted at number four against England, has only played 6 ODIs in his career so far. Before this World Cup, he didn’t play a single ODI game in England.

In addition to that, among the 15 T20Is he has featured in, none were played in England. Hence, though the swashbuckling left-handed batsman is an exciting player, he doesn’t have the necessary experience to succeed at number four.

He is more known for his explosive batting and unorthodox strokes, which might prove to be a boon for India in the slog overs. The duo of Pant and Hardik Pandya might become the most dangerous partnership possible during the last few overs.

Dhoni is clearly not the best bet for number 6 or any position after that. When he bats at these positions, his average drops to 46, and his strike rate drops to 85. His strike rate has taken a further dip to 81 in the past couple of years, when batting at number 6 or later. Hence, in order to maximize Dhoni’s effectiveness, he should come at number four.

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