5 instances when Indian batsmen played for a spot on the team

Batsmen head out to the crease with a two-fold purpose. To score runs and avoid getting out. Sometimes circumstances demand that one of those concerns outweigh the other. If a team is chasing a high score and overs are scarce, a batsman is expected to allow the importance of scoring runs outweigh the risks of getting out. That is what the team requires at that point, a slight reckless abandon in batting. Sometimes though the batsman allows concerns of holding a spot on the team influence his style, and lets staying on the crease take precedence above all else. Here are five instances when Indian batsmen set out to bat playing for a spot in the team:

#1 Venugopal Rao

Venugopal Rao

India faced Pakistan in the 1st ODI of the DLF Cup on 18 April 2006 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Venugopal Rao scored 61 runs off 93 balls. This was his first career half century in ODIs. He sustained a partnership with Suresh Raina who had 40 runs to help India get to 197 runs. The duo maintained a 64 run partnership.

He did end up keeping his place in the ODI series in the West Indies. While his play helped India run up the score, it came at a cost of overs. India lost the match by 6 wickets as Pakistan chased India’s total of 197 runs and scored 201 runs.

India did level the series in the next ODI as they set a target of 269 runs while losing 5 wickets. Pakistan were all out at 218 in 45.2.

#2 Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja

India faced England in the 20th Twenty20 match, Group E at the Lord’s in London on 14th June 2009. The required run rate was 7.65 when Sir Ravindra Jadeja calmly held strike facing 35 deliveries and scoring just 25 runs.

India managed to end their innings with a score of 150 runs. England had set a target of 153. This was one of the initial incidents which eventually led to him being christened as ‘Sir’.

England lost 7 wickets while setting the target. India lost 5 wickets and could have used more aggressive batting to keep their hopes in the game.

#3 Manoj Prabhakar

Manoj Prabhakar

India were facing West Indies in the 4th match of the Wills World Series at Green Park, Kanpur on 30 October 1994. West Indies had set a target of 257 runs while losing 6 wickets.

Manoj Prabhakar was the opening batsman. He scored 102 runs while facing 154 deliveries and he finished unbeaten.

The required run rate was 5.14 runs per over. India ended their innings with 211 runs. They lost just 5 wickets.

Later Prabhakar recalled “In Kanpur, when we were chasing the West Indies score, [Nayan] Mongia came in to bat and conveyed the management’s instruction to try and get as close to the target.”

“The resultant hullabaloo about my going slow would be directed at the team management and not me as I was doing so under their instructions.” he added.

#4 Nayan Mongia

Nayan Mongia

In the same match where India faced West Indies and were chasing a target of 257 runs, India had two batsmen on the crease who were determined to stay on and do little else.

After Jadeja got out, India had to chase down 63 runs from 54 balls. That's when Mongia came on. The next four overs, India managed just five runs. Over the last five overs India could only score 11 more.

Mongia faced 21 deliveries and scored just 4 runs. India ended up losing by 46 runs, with a run rate of 4.22 runs per over.

#5 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan came into the third ODI vs Australia having scored just 9 runs and 6 runs in the first and second match respectively. MS Dhoni had spoken about him earlier saying "We have to be patient with someone like Shikhar because he is an impact player and we need to give him as much confidence as we can. When he gets going he will win you the game for sure."

In the third ODI Dhawan scored 68 runs in 91 balls. He was bowled by Hastings. India lost by 3 wickets.