The fourth match of the ongoing ODI series between India and Australia sent out a strong message to the Indian cricket team – captain, coach and selectors – that they must stick to the first-choice playing XI as much as they can, for India’s bench strength isn’t as good as it once promised to be.
India made four changes to their lineup for the Mohali ODI on Sunday, 10 March, with Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal replacing MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja from the team that lost the third game at Ranchi on Friday, 8 March.
Here’s a look at three big learnings for India from their Ashton Turner-led defeat at Mohali, where Australia successfully chased down a huge target of 359.
Virat Kohli Must Stick to No. 3
The Indian think-tank is trying to test as many combinations as they can ahead of the all-important ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, in a bid to find the perfect playing XI.
Among the several changes made for the fourth ODI, one was the move to demote Virat Kohli to number four in the batting order to accommodate KL Rahul at number three.
While it is good to test out a larger number of players, it is also imperative to keep winning matches and ensure key players are in good form.
There is no doubt that Kohli is India’s most important player, and the team management should know that tampering with his number three position can be dangerous.
It’s a position he bosses like no one else in the 50-over game, and his presence there could have potentially led in 25-30 more runs in India’s kitty.
KL Rahul scored a 31-ball 26, coming in with India at 193/1 in 31 overs. Fortunately, Shikhar Dhawan kept the scoreboard buzzing at the other end – else it could have put a lot of pressure on the middle-order, and resulted in more wickets and fewer runs.
Kohli is the world’s best ODI batsman, at number three or not, and he ought to remain at the spot which he has made his own.
Rishabh Pant Is Not Ready
On Friday, 8 March, Rishabh Pant was awarded a Grade A contract by the BCCI, a move welcomed by most Indian cricket fans given his credentials as possibly the most exciting young talent in the country. The board’s decision, as well as the mood on social media, indicated that Pant had the backing of both the management and the fans.
Two days later, the same social media turned on the 21-year-old, trolling him left, right and centre. The fans present at the stadium didn’t spare him either, chanting MS Dhoni’s name as Pant missed a couple of opportunities which would prove telling to the outcome of the game.
The mistakes at crunch moments are an indication that Pant, perhaps, isn’t ready to don the big gloves of being India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman.
Sunday also showed that Indian fans are so used to Dhoni’s brilliance behind the stumps, that any mistakes have become unforgivable.
Shami > Bhuvneshwar
Mohammed Shami is one of India’s most improved cricketers in the last 18 months. He has worked hard on his fitness, and added more speed and variety to his bowling.
In his last 10 ODIs, Shami has taken 17 wickets at an economy rate of 4.76. On the back of these numbers, he deserves to be India’s first-choice pace-bowling option along with Jasprit Bumrah.
On the other hand, Bhuvneshwar Kumar appears to be struggling with his pace and control after suffering a few injuries over the last 18 months. At Mohali, he kept missing his mark, especially at the death, when Turner launched into him to seal the game for Australia.
If India decide to field three fast bowlers in their XI at the World Cup in England, both Shami and Bhuvneshwar can make it. But if they decide to go with their usually-preferred combination of two fast bowlers, two spinners and Hardik Pandya, they must stick with the Bumrah-Shami combine with the new ball.
(This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)