World Cup 2019: Will Vijay Shankar get another opportunity?
India have climbed on to the second spot in the World Cup 2019 points table with 11 points after beating West Indies comprehensively. The Indian batting unit put up a clinical performance after electing to bat first on a bright and sunny morning in Manchester.
Virat Kohli led from the front with a concrete 72 off 82 deliveries, complemented by significant contributions from KL Rahul (48), MS Dhoni (56) and Hardik Pandya (46), which took the total to 268.
The Men in Blue then took to the field with tremendous intensity as they bundled out the Windies for a meagre 143. Mohammed Shami was exceptional with the ball (4 wickets) as he ensnared the Calypso batsmen bowling with precise control, hitting good lines and lengths with remarkable consistency.
Shami used the well-directed short ball to great effect as he bounced out Chris Gayle and Oshane Thomas cheaply.
The big question remains: Who should bat at No. 4?
Vijay Shankar failed to contribute substantially yet again as he was dismissed cheaply by Kemar Roach on 14. He has been a big disappointment in this tournament with unimpressive scores of 15, 29 and 14.
The decision of the team management to play Shankar ahead of the experienced campaigner Dinesh Karthik has been a talking point for quite a while now. The latest poor show by the Tamil Nadu lad has sparked debates questioning his ability at number 4, which is a very crucial position as far as the Indian batting is concerned.
Still, it is quite possible that Shankar is given another opportunity in the match against the hosts England, as the selectors might not want to change a winning combination.
The Indian middle order has been under the pump in the last two games with Rohit Sharma departing early. If you get the top three quickly, the middle order gets exposed and the opposition can really tighten their grasp.
Karthik is an obvious choice as the ideal replacement for Shankar. With a rock solid temperament he has proven himself time and again, often being there at the end and finishing off chases for India. Karthik is the guy to rely on when the team is in trouble.
The Indian think tank can also opt for the talented Rishabh Pant to bring in that X-factor to the crease. The young left-hander could be a great addition to the batting unit, capable of turning the game on its head in a matter of a few deliveries.
As the tournament nears its business end, the Indian team would be looking to tick all the boxes heading into the knockouts. They seem to be overly dependent on Kohli and Rohit at the moment; if those two fail, the team is put in a spot of bother.
It is high time the middle order batsmen come to the fore and join the party. Whether that is done through Shankar, or even Karthik or Pant, is for the selectors and the players themselves to decide.