The force behind India’s domination of white ball cricket has been consistent runs – and big runs at that – by the top three. In the last few years, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli have become the pillars of the Indian team and have accounted for a huge portion of the team’s runs.
In the last three years, Rohit, Shikhar and Virat have contributed to the extent of a third (and more) of the runs scored by the Indian team.
However, in the 11 ODIs India have played so far this year, only one of India’s top three has been firing. It has been business as usual for Virat Kohli – with the captain piling on the centuries, while the runs have dried up from the willows of the two regular openers.
While Rohit Sharma averages 36.81 in ODIs this year, Shikhar Dhawan averages 26.50 in matches played this calendar year.
The numbers make for dismal reading in recent matches; in the last 5 ODIs – that is in 10 innings combined – Rohit and Dhawan have a top score of 37 and have contributed a total of 101 runs.
Irrespective of how they’re being dismissed – brilliant deliveries, sensational catches, or neatly timed strokes finding the fielder – the runs have dried up. And that is all that matters.
Cricket, like any other sport, is a confidence game. When a player is scoring runs – like Virat Kohli currently is – he will find ways to score runs. But when the runs dry up, a player’s confidence can evaporate pretty quickly and he can get into poor habits in a desperate bid to find form. Remember, just like a purple patch clings on, poor form can cling on too. Rohit and Shikhar need to get out of the run quickly.
How Bad is this Lean Patch?
The last time India had a series of four or more consecutive ODIs, without one of the openers making a half-century, was towards the end of 2013 and beginning of 2014.
In the 11 ODIs played this year, the Indian team has realised only one century partnership from its opening pair. Take that one partnership out, and the average of India’s opening partnership in ODIs in 2019 reads a dismal 18.70!
One can only guess that the loss of form of the two openers has already set the alarm bells ringing in the Indian dressing room. With just two more ODIs remaining before the World Cup, Indian cricket fans have reason to be worried; the two incumbent openers are misfiring and one isn’t sure if the team management knows who the reserve opener will be?
The gut feel is, and grapevine has it, that KL Rahul has done enough (two half-centuries against England A and 50 & 47 in the T20Is against Australia) to earn himself a ticket to United Kingdom. Now the fact remains that Rahul hasn’t played an ODI – in which he averages 35.22 – since 25 September 2018. A lot has happened – on the field and off the field – and therefore one isn’t sure if he can be the answer to India’s opening woes.
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