5 issues which need to be addressed by the Indian ODI team before the 2019 World Cup

#1. The number 4 dilemma

Ajinkya Rahane has batted at number 4 in the ongoing ODI series against South Africa

The number four position in ODI cricket is one of the most vital positions. The number 4 batsman should stabilize the innings in case of a couple of early wickets. In case of a big partnership, he should play the role of the aggressor in the last 10 overs of the innings and provide the finishing touches.

While the number 4 position was vacant in the Indian team since the exclusion of Yuvraj Singh, the management has experimented with the likes of Dinesh Kartik, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey and most recently with Ajinkya Rahane in ODIs.

Though Rahane impressed one and all with an impressive innings of 79 in the first ODI against South Africa at Durban, he has failed to live up to the expectations in the remaining matches played and scored just 19 runs in the next two innings. Rahane can play the role of the stabilizer but only time will tell if he can play the role of the aggressor if the situation demands.

The team management would like to give more opportunities to Shreyas Iyer, who has shown glimpses of his class with the limited opportunities he has been provided in the international arena.