5 Like-For-Like Replacements For The Fab-Five

The Fab-Five carried the Indian national team for decadesVirender Sehwag announcing his retirement from international cricket a few days ago ended the international cricketing career of the last remaining member of the Fab-Five – namely Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, Ganguly and Sehwag himself; five of the greatest batsmen India has ever produced.These superstars gave Indian fans a lot to be proud of, and induced fear in the hearts of every single bowling attack they ever faced. Together, the felled opponents and records alike, and their retirements have left huge voids in the dressing room.However, the new and rising Indian side is filled with young and exceptional talents, some of whom could possibly step into the shoes of these legends in the years to come. Here’s a look at 5 like-for-like replacements for the Fab-Five.

#1 Virender Sehwag - Shikhar Dhawan

Dhawan could well do for India what Sehwag did, the mindsets of the two men being very similar

The Nawab of Najafgarh taking his stance was a terrifying sight for bowlers across all formats of the game, be it Tests or T20s, simply because his batting style never changed, whatever be the format.

He plundered away at the bowling fearlessly, and always looked to send the ball to the boundary ropes. Sehwag’s immense success for India, despite being a carefree batsman, could well be replicated by Shikhar Dhawan.

As Test skipper Kohli said, both men have the potential to turn matches around as openers. Dhawan’s stylish and audacious shotmaking could do India well at the top of the order, and India may have just found their replacement for the swashbuckling Viru in the bold Dhawan, provided Dhawan manages to address a few of his well-known weaknesses on the off-side.

#2 Sourav Ganguly - Suresh Raina

Raina’s mastery over the off-side reminds fans of the “God of the off-side” Sourav Ganguly

Both southpaws are with very similar approaches to batting, and both having a spellbinding array of shots on the off-side. Suresh Raina and Ganguly may have held a key place in the Indian side over two different time spans, but the former could quite easily fit into the shoes of the latter.

Dada’s timely aggression and touch of class are mirrored to near perfection when Raina bats. As an added bonus, Raina’s trademark inside-out six over mid-off has found its identical twin in the same shot that Ganguly played with equal nonchalance. Top this off, with an innate ability to roll their arms over for a few handy overs, Raina looks well set to replace Dada in the Indian side.

#3 V.V.S Laxman - Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane’s idol from a young age was V.V.S Laxman, and he has drawn a lot of inspiration for his cricket from the latter

V.V.S Laxman’s strokes could be described as nothing short of elegant and fluid. Ajinkya Rahane in this aspect would make a perfect fit for the gap left in the side by Laxman.

Although the Hyderabad-based maestro was a late bloomer, his contributions in the lower middle order in Tests (primarily overseas, but at home as well) can never be forgotten.

Of late, Rahane seems to be doing Laxman’s job in Tests, saving matches and batting with the tail at times to take India to victories, and also has been displaying the kind of dependability, skill and composure that Laxman lended to the side during his time.

In addition, Rahane seems as dependable in the slip cordon, as Laxman did throughout his career.

#4 Rahul Dravid - Cheteshwar Pujara

Both Pujara and Dravid have struggled to perform in the shortest format of the game – T20

One of the more popular comparisons made by critics and fans alike is that of Pujara to India’s most reliable and solid batsmen of all time – Rahul Dravid. While this comparison as such may be unfair and rather baseless, as Pujara is yet in the wee stages of his career, and comparing him to a gargantuan batsman such as Dravid would be inappropriate.

It can be said with some degree of confidence, that in the years to come, the youngster from Gujarat could well be known as India’s next Wall.

Demonstrating a solid temperament and the ability to leave troublesome balls outside the off-stump in Tests, and picking bad balls to score from, Pujara needs to maintain his consistency for a long while to be able to properly fill the shoes of the Wall.

#5 Sachin Tendulkar - Virat Kohli

Sachin and Kohli are without a doubt two of the greatest cricketing talents India, and possibly the world has ever unearthed

No fan of cricket can watch a Kohli innings without making a comparison to possibly the best batsman to have ever played the game – Sachin Tendulkar. Truth be told, the two have a whole lot in common.

Both batsmen started at an extremely young age and had to shoulder the responsibility of the nation quite early. Kohli has also managed to show the incredible consistency that Tendulkar did, across all formats of the game.

The impeccable techniques of the two batsmen are mirror-images, they both make record-breaking look like child’s play and both the men are match winners. Kohli has already scored 23 ODI centuries and 11 Test centuries and is fast reaching the pinnacle that Tendulkar currently owns.

India sure would be glad to have found a replacement for Sachin so quickly post his retirement, a replacement that has the potential to outdo the Little Master himself.