Five candidates for the opening slot in Australia alongside Murali Vijay

The opening partnership, over the last 3 years, has been a big concern for India while playing away from home. Since the Lords Test against England in 2011, India have been able to put up only one 50+ partnership from 16 Tests: a 63-run partnership between Gautam Gambhir and Abhinav Mukund which came in that very same game. Its no surprise, then, that the Indian middle-order has struggled to rack up big runs on the board in recent times, with them being brutally exposed to the newish ball time and again.Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, etc. have all been given opportunities at the top of the order, but all of them have failed to come up with the goods. The only one who has had some kind of success is Murali Vijay, and the fact that his overseas average, in the last 3 years, of 33.22 is being viewed as relatively successful gives us a fair indication of the sorry state of affairs of Indias opening batsmen.With Shikhar Dhawan and Gautam Gambhir being appallingly poor in the recent Test series against England, the Indian selectors will have to look at other options ahead of Indias tour of Australia later this year.Here are 5 candidates to partner Murali Vijay in Test cricket going forward: (NOTE: The list isnt in any particular order)

#1 KL Rahul

One of a number of promising young talents from Karnataka, KL Rahul played a prominent role in his state winning the Ranji Trophy last season as he scored 1033 runs in 10 matches at an average of 68.86. He had been earmarked for higher honours ever since he played for India in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, and on the back of the fruitful season he has enjoyed with Karnataka, he is surely not too far away from an India Test call-up. What Rahul will have to do now, for that to be the case, is back up his good season by starting the next season as impressively, and if he can do so, inclusion in the India squad touring Australia for a 4-Test series in December beckons.

#2 Jiwanjot Singh

Jiwanjot Singh has been earning the attention of Indian domestic cricket followers, slowly but surely, with his performances for Punjab over the last two years. A composed player, he comes across as someone who knows his limitations well and doesnt try anything out of the ordinary. In 28 first-class matches for Punjab, he has scored more than 2000 runs including 7 centuries and 7 half-centuries - at an average just under 50.

The fact that most of Jiwanjots runs have come in Mohali, a pitch which has traditionally provided some help for the fast bowlers, signals an ability to handle seam movement and should hold him in good stead for a potential Test career.

Asked about his batting philosophy during an interview to The Hindu last year, Jiwanjot said: My strength is playing straight. I do work on my shots but it all depends on the pitch. I study the pitch minutely and then decide the course of attack. I have trained hard on tackling the short ball and playing the cut.

It helps if you play the ball and not worry about the bowlers reputation. It also helps if you stop worrying about getting out. Runs are important but it is also essential to spend time in the middle. I know if I respect the bowlers Ill find my way. Also, the runs are good only if the team benefits. My 147 against Delhi was nice but my 200 (against Vidarbha) did not come in a winning cause. One must score when the team needs it.

#3 Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag is, without doubt, one of Indias two greatest Test openers of all-time, the other of course being Sunil Gavaskar. But the one question mark, if any, on Sehwag over the years has been his indifferent Test record away from home, which compares unfavourably with his home record.

Yet there is no questioning Sehwags class as a batsman, and with a paucity of experienced openers in Indian cricket at the moment, Sehwag could still be the man for what is bound to be a tough tour Down Under. He is 35 at the moment, and his reflexes over time have definitely slowed down. That has hampered Sehwags batting hugely, as no one relies on purely hand-eye coordination while batting more than he does. But he has had some success in Australia in the past, notably the sparkling 195 he scored in Melbourne in 2003, and he could rediscover his old touch if shown a bit of support from the selectors.

#4 Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane started off his first-class career with Mumbai as an opener, but he eventually slid down the order as he found himself more comfortable in the middle-order. When he, then, got his chance in Test cricket for India last year, he got so as a middle-order batsman. He has gradually established himself as a middle-order batsman in the Test team after having scored hundreds in England and New Zealand and 96 in South Africa. With that being the case, it might be unfair to now move Rahane up the order when he feels settled in the middle-order, but if India continue to struggle in finding a suitable opener alongside Murali Vijay, Rahane might have to make the sacrifice.

#5 Abhinav Mukund

Abhinav Mukund was harshly treated by the then group of selectors, in my opinion, when he was shunned after playing for India in 3 Tests against West Indies and 2 against England, in their backyard, in 2011. While a total of 211 runs at an average of 21.10 from those 5 Tests might suggest otherwise, the fact that Mukund was up against the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Fidel Edwards etc. on hostile surfaces shouldn’t be overlooked.

He also knew that he was on borrowed time as the injured Sehwag was due to come back for the 3rd Test of that 4-Test series against England at Edgbaston, making it really difficult for the young opener, and I thought he did reasonably well in the circumstances.

He has been a consistent run-getter for Tamil Nadu in first-class cricket, having scored 6052 runs from 83 matches at an average of 50.01. He would have, no doubt, learned from his tough initiation to Test cricket, and he deserves a fair crack of the whip at the Test level before being sidelined.

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Edited by Staff Editor