India’s middle order was problematic the previous time
they competed in an ODI World Cup. They had a batting all-rounder whose bowling
they appeared to have lost faith in at No. 6, a fading great at No. 5, and a
rotating cast of No. 4 possibilities, none of whom received a sufficient amount
of playing time in the team prior to the event.
They still have a problem, but it’s a big problem this
time. A situation so serious that one of India’s middle-order possibilities may
have missed out on the World Cup starting XI on the day that he hit an
incredible century against Australia in the second One-Day International in
Indore.
Only four Indian batsmen who bat at Nos. 4 to 6 have
amassed more than 1000 ODI runs with a 40 or higher average and a 90 or higher
strike rate. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are both a part of the select club.
Prior to the Asia Cup beginning a month ago, they
would have been favourites to start the World Cup at positions No. 4 and 5.
Now? Rahul is almost certain to start for the team.
Even though Ishan Kishan took the big gloves on Sunday, he is likely India’s
first-choice wicketkeeper. His ODI average this year is only a few decimal
points below Shubman Gill’s, which is quite an accomplishment in 2023. His last
five innings have included a century, two fifties, and a possibly even greater
effort than those three.
Iyer? Not exactly simple. He has experienced back pain
in recent months, and during the time he has been in and out of the lineup,
other batters have entered and demonstrated their abilities. Iyer was most
likely still in front of Kishan in the middle-order lineup when he batted on
Sunday, notwithstanding this. And during a relaxed 90-ball 105, he most likely
gave himself a sizable lead. Prior to Suryakumar Yadav, that is.
When teams are only permitted four fielders outside
the ring in overs 11–40, Suryakumar would anticipate doing the majority of his
batting in those overs. Theoretically, there would be more open spaces to aim
for, more time to get his eye in, and more space to choose his shots carefully.
But it’s not always easy to translate theory into practise,
as Suryakumar experienced during the course of his first 25 ODI innings, during
which he only managed to get two fifties and averaged 24.40.
The Indian team has additional players who are capable
of launching four consecutive sixes off a tall, fast-medium bowler like Cameron
Green. But can they strike them over backward square leg, fine leg,
extra-cover, and forward square leg in the same order that Suryakumar did? Can
they reach across to the opposite side, like Suryakumar did against Sean Abbott,
and flick-sweep a seventh-stump ball over square leg before opening their bat
face two balls later to drive an off-stump yorker between the keeper and short
third?
There aren’t many people in the entire globe that can
hit the same ball with different methods to different sections of the field or
do these things. Two names spring to mind: Glenn Maxwell and Jos Buttler.
The top six of Rohit Sharma, Gill, Virat Kohli, Iyer,
Rahul, and Hardik Pandya appear to be strong, while the contributions of Nos.
3, 4, and 5 are quite monotonous. Even Hardik has reached a point where he may
perform at his peak when given the opportunity to develop an innings.
Compare that to Option B, a top six that might cover
all bases aside from left-handedness: Rohit, Gill, Kohli, Rahul, Hardik, and
Suryakumar.
India’s final official game before the World Cup will
be the third ODI against Australia, and Rohit, Kohli, and Hardik will be back
in the lineup. They may line up differently in Chennai on October 8 depending
on how they line up in the game in Rajkot.