3 Answers to India’s ODI Middle Order puzzle

On 30th May 2019, the whole world will have its eyes trained on the curtain-raiser of the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Australia would arrive on their arch-rivals’ territory as defending champions, hoping to claim an unprecedented sixth World Cup.

On the other hand, teams like England, South Africa and New Zealand would hope to end their World Cup hoodoo and join an elite list of World Cup winners. However, the majority of the focus would revolve around how India performs on the biggest stage. The Indian team would hope it can serve up memories of 2011, rather than 2007.

The Indian team has a firm blueprint in place and only needs a bit of fine-tuning. The top three is one of the most destructive in the world while Bumrah and Bhuvaneshwar provide the bowling line-up with steel. In addition to this, India enjoys the guile of their wrist spinners.

However, all is not rosy for the Indian team. It still has a few unanswered questions with the biggest being the composition of their middle order. Even in the recently concluded series against England, India found themselves in trouble when the top three couldn’t bat deep into the innings. A host of names have been tried but none have been able to make the middle-order spot their own.

For a World Cup winning machine, one needs each component to be tried and tested in the most adverse conditions. With time at a premium, the Indian team needs to act swiftly and come up with a winning formula for the World Cup.

Through the course of this article, we would look at three players who could go a long way in solving the middle order conundrum for India. Here is a look at them:

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#1 Rishabh Pant

Pant would hope for his chance in the ODI arena

The swashbuckling left-hander from Delhi looks ready to make the step-up into international cricket. Having recently made his test debut, the youngster is on an upward curve and shows no sign of letting up.

Pant has taken the domestic circuit by storm and had a sensational 2018 IPL. He flew to England as part of the India A squad and gave a good account of himself, playing a match-winning knock in the tri-series final.

The left-hander is a student of the ‘Sehwag school of cricket’ and doesn’t mind playing his shots.

He couples his power game with deft sweeps and reverse-sweeps. With his inclusion in the Indian team, India would have the option of a left-hander in a team predominantly consisting of right-handers.

He has the ability to ‘take off’ right from the outset and would help India set the tempo in the middle overs.

His presence would also aid MS Dhoni, who would be allowed the time to play himself in, without having to worry about the scoring rate. The present and future of Indian wicket-keeping firing together would be an exciting prospect.

At the moment, Pant is in the form of his life. The Indian think-tank should give him his due in the ODI landscape and let him enthral one and all with his belligerent brand of batting.

If Pant is able to find his feet in the ODI arena, he could lead India a step closer to their 3rd World Cup triumph.

#2 Ambati Rayudu

Rayudu would want to deliver on his promise

Ambati Rayudu was unfortunate to miss out on the England tour, courtesy a failed ‘yo-yo’ test. Since then, he has gotten his act together and is playing for the India A side in the quadrangular series.

Rayudu’s career has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. After being tipped for success at the tender age of 16, he lost his way and ended up in the rebel ICL.

He then came back into the fold and shone with the bat for Mumbai Indians in 2010 and 2011, before earning his India cap in 2013. At 32 years of age, the next few years represent the last opportunity for Rayudu to deliver on his exponential promise.

Despite averaging a shade over 50 in ODIs, Rayudu has never been a regular for the team. Rayudu is a flamboyant stroke-maker who has the ability to mix caution with aggression.

He plays every shot in the book and it was on display in this year’s IPL, where he emerged CSK’s top run-getter.

Over the years, Rayudu has started displaying an incredible hitting prowess. It is his new-found hitting prowess which makes him a prime candidate to slot into India’s middle order.

Not many cricketers have faced as many setbacks as Rayudu. The way he keeps rising after every setback shows the innate mental strength he possesses.

With the World Cup testing every player out, mentally as well as technically, Rayudu seems the ideal player to help solve India’s middle-order muddle.

With the Asia Cup on the horizon, Rayudu would hope he gets his long-overdue chance. On the other hand, the Indian team and the fans would hope Rayudu can cement his place in India’s middle-order.

#3 Kedar Jadhav

Jadhav provides a handy bowling option as well

Kedar Jadhav has been on the fringes of the Indian team ever since he shot to prominence with a stellar 2013-14 domestic season.

Jadhav’s last ODI appearance was at Cape Town in South Africa, where he managed a solitary run. Jadhav has never had the luxury of being a certainty in the team and has been a victim of the constant chopping and changing of the team.

Many believed that this year’s IPL would re-ignite his career and put him on the national team map. However, an unfortunate hamstring injury cut short his IPL. He was forced to watch on from the sideline as his team emerged victoriously.

Kedar’s current assignment is the quadrangular series, where he is part of the India B side.

Kedar is a three-dimensional cricketer and contributes in all departments. Though he was initially looked upon as a middle-order dasher, his off-spin has proved handy on many an occasion. With Jadhav in the team, Kohli would have the luxury of a sixth bowler, a luxury he doesn’t enjoy with the current crop of middle-order batsmen.

Apart from his contribution with the ball, Jadhav can slot in seamlessly at No.6, which would enable Dhoni to bat a little higher. Jadhav is a clean hitter of the ball and would help India mount onslaughts in the ‘death overs’.

His inclusion would lend greater balance to the Indian team. Having performed on the international stage earlier, he doesn’t represent as huge a risk as some of the others. Thus, he should be given a chance to prove his worth in India’s upcoming limited-overs assignments.

A fit and firing Jadhav could just be the final piece in the World Cup jigsaw for India.