Most successful No.4 batsmen for India in ODIs

The number four position is the most interesting slot in the batting lineup in the 50-over format. Depending on how the top order performs, the batsmen have to adjust their game - some situations call for defensive play to steady the sinking ship while in others, they have to counter-attack with their aggressive batting. Some of the limited-overs greats, such as Mahela Jayawardene, Aravinda de Silva, Ross Taylor and AB de Villiers, have made a name for themselves by batting at the all-important spot for the majority of their career.

The Indian cricket team has been facing issues with their number four batsman for some time now. With Ajinkya Rahane, once a designated opener, now donning the role at two-down in the ongoing series against South Africa, we take a look at some of the greatest Indian batsmen to have played at this position in One Day Internationals.

Sachin Tendulkar

The Master was a reliable number 4 early on in his career.

Is there any batting list in this world that does not include The Master Blaster? Regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Sachin Tendulkar, for the majority of his career, played as an opener for the Indian team. His exploits at the top of the order need no introduction. However, early on in his ODI career, Tendulkar batted down the order, usually at the fall of second or third wicket. Before he became India's permanent top order batsman in 1994, 'The God of Cricket' batted 61 times at the number 4 position, scoring 2059 runs at a healthy average of 38.85. Although these numbers pale in comparison to his overall record, Tendulkar's contribution during his two stints, the second of which came in the early 2000s, often proved vital for the Indian team.

Dilip Vengsarkar

The Colonel was the mainstay of Indian middle order in the 1980s.

If Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev are often regarded as India's greatest match winners from the 1980s, Dilip Vengsarkar is certainly not far behind. If Gavaskar and Dev were the champions of the top and lower order, Vengsarkar was a pillar in the middle order. In his 15 years long International career, Vengsarkar played 71 of his 120 ODI innings at the number four slot, scoring 2138 runs at a respectable average of 37.51. The fact that his career average of 34.73 is significantly lower than his average as a number 4 batsman is enough to prove that Vengsarkar, who was one of the better batsmen in the longer format, was a solid number four batsman in the Indian batting lineup.

Rahul Dravid

The sailor that used to steady the sailing ship.

There's a reason why Rahul Dravid has been given the nickname 'The Wall'. Regarded as a specialist test batsman early on in his international career, Dravid went on to become one of India's most consistent limited overs batsmen in the 21st century. His proficiency as the pillar of the Indian middle order can be deduced from the fact that he ended his ODI career with 10889 runs scored at an average of 39.14 in 318 matches. Batting at number four for a significant part of his illustrious career, Dravid accumulated 3301 runs in 102 innings at an average of 36.27. Although the average is slightly lower than his career average, it pales in comparison to the number of times he saved Indian team after an early collapse. Now a World Cup winning coach, back in his playing days, Dravid was the linchpin of the Indian middle order.

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh has been a proven match-winner for India with his batting.

Few people have had a bigger impact on the Indian cricket's limited over side than Yuvraj Singh. Ever since his international debut against Australia in 2000, Yuvraj was a constant member of the illustrious Indian middle order. Batting at number five or six early on in his career, he became India's permanent batsman for the two down slot in the latter part of his career. Playing 108 of his 278 ODI innings at the all important position, the southpaw scored 3415 runs at an average of 35.12 and a healthy strike rate of 90. His career best score of 150, which he scored against England last year, also came batting at the same position. The fact that his career average of 36 is only marginally more than his average at this position clearly shows that his performance at number four was exceptional.

Mohammad Azharuddin

The most technically sound Indian batsman of all time.

When we talk about the greatest Indian batsmen of all time, names like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid are certainly part of the debate. The name of Mohammad Azharuddin, however, does not come up that often, especially when you consider the fact that the man was India's captain for a major part of the 1990s. One of the most underrated batsmen in the game, Azharuddin was rock-solid as a middle order batsman for the Indian team. Coming in to bat after the second wicket 137 times, the elegant batsman scored 4605 runs at an average of over 40, significantly higher than his career average of 36.92. So good and consistent was Azhar as an ODI batsman that when he was dropped from the Indian team in 2000, he was the highest run-scorer in ODI cricket at the time.