“Yes, you can” – Sunil Gavaskar reacts to Ravi Shastri’s idea of playing Virat Kohli at No. 4

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has backed erstwhile India coach Ravi Shastri’s idea of playing Virat Kohli at No. 4. The 74-year-old wants the team management to be flexible regarding the batting order, especially when the new ball is doing a bit for the bowlers.

The veteran cited that the Men in Blue have often been exposed by the new ball, adding that the early wickets of India captain Rohit Sharma and Kohli have been the primary reasons behind the losses.

For the uninitiated, Kohli has played 39 ODIs at No. 4, scoring 1767 runs at an average of 55.22, including seven centuries. However, his natural position has been No. 3, where he made the bulk of his scoring (10,777 runs in 210 ODIs at an average of 60.21, including 39 tons).

Gavaskar told India Today:

“(On batting order) Any team has to be flexible…but I don’t want to disturb the top order. I don’t think Rohit Sharma should be looking to bat down the order. Yes, you can look at having Kohli at No. 4, particularly, if a wicket falls early because the new ball can do some early damage.”

The cricketer-turned-commentator continued:

“Every time India has lost, I think it’s that the fact the new ball in the first 10-12 overs, India have lost three or four wickets, and both wickets out of these wickets have been Sharma and Kohli, who’ve been the victims, so it’s difficult. Maybe, look at it depending on the situation.”

Gavaskar further stressed that part-timers Rohit and Kohli wouldn't be much handy with the ball. He believes that all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja will be vital for the Men in Blue's success in the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup. He said:

“(On Rohit & Kohli bowling) If they had been bowling quite regularly, yes, it could be good, but when you look at the successful teams in limited-overs cricket that have gone on to win championships.

"For India, you’ll find there have been full of all-rounders, batters who can bowl and bowlers down the order who’ve contributed when they get to bat about six or seven overs, they’ve contributed good runs.

“So, yes, I think the all-rounders are gonna be the key, so it’s good to see Hardik Pandya in the team. He’s the kind of player who is a game-changer along with Ravindra Jadeja. These two guys are going to be the key.”

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“I don’t think you should be too worried” – Sunil Gavaskar on Team India’s batting depth for the 2023 Asia Cup

Sunil Gavaskar further expressed dissent over India’s head coach Rahul Dravid's comments on the need for batting depth. He stressed that the top order, involving Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli, and all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja are responsible for the bulk of the scoring.

On this, Gavaskar said:

“(On batting depth) India has a tremendous batting lineup. You’ll probably find very very few occasions that No. 9 and 10 will be asked to bat because the top order is so good that I don’t think you should be too worried."

He added:

"If you have somebody like Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja at 6 and 7, that’s excellent. These guys can be finishers as well, so I think it’s a very very good team. Kudos to the selection committee for what they have done.”

India will begin their 2023 Asia Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, on September 2.