Australia vs India 2018-19: India need lower-order help to bolster batting fortunes

India currently houses one of the most successful batting units in the modern era. Over the years, their batting resources have been developed extensively to face the most challenging situations presented to them.

They possess a talented top-order across all formats. The reliable batting lineup has led to much of their success in the recent past. Although the middle-order has invited criticism, one cannot neglect the quality of the batsmen, who have scored heavily at both national and international level.

The lower-order has been a concern for India over the years. With the game evolving by the day, one can understand the importance of each run contributed by every batsman including the tailenders.

In the shorter formats, the tailenders are only required to score quick runs whereas the Test format demands more intent to stay on the crease for longer periods in order to help the specialist batsmen at the other end.

Though Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have contributed with the bat, it's a challenge to include the four of them at the same time in the playing eleven due to the bowling combination. Including two of them in the lineup provides a cushion to the middle-order batsmen aside from the added advantage of their bowling.

During the last six years or so, India have been opting for both Ashwin and Jadeja for home Tests. The duo add depth to the lower-order and hence huge totals have never been an issue with such a long batting lineup.

Slotting in three or even four pacers has been skipper Virat Kohli's go to plan for Test matches outside the subcontinent. The addition of Bhuvneshwar seems uncertain considering his recent form.

Hence, the omission of Jadeja or Ashwin makes the tail more vulnerable. Hardik Pandya, despite being an asset, has not cemented his place as a permanent all-rounder due to lackluster bowling performances. The responsibility of batting in the lower-order relies mostly on the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma.

A tail of two halves

The likes of Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble used to chip in with useful batting contributions

India's lower-order has cost them quite a few Test matches outside Asia in recent times. Since the retirement of an even more accomplished lower-order comprising of Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, and Irfan Pathan, India have not been able to produce players of the same batting caliber in their lower half.

In the second Test against Australia, India's lower-order was wiped out in no time by the home team quicks. On the other hand, the Aussie tailenders provided valuable contributions which pushed the momentum in their favour.

The lack of time spent batting during the off-season and first-class games reflect on the below-par batting performances of the tailenders. Spending more time on the crease allows them to develop the confidence to stay at the crease for a longer duration.

The other teams have realized the importance of developing their tailenders and have been working efficiently to bring out the best in the players at the grass root level.

The sooner team India realizes this, the better it will be for the team in the long run. It doesn't necessarily mean that the tailenders must try to bat in the same manner as the top order batsmen. However, they must provide ample support to the well-set specialist batsmen during key situations.

In the past, India's tailenders have given the fans numerous memorable moments to cherish. If the current lot can hold their own with the bat, India can start winning Test series all over the globe.