Players who have played at number four for  India since Virat Kohli took charge

#6 M.S Dhoni

A big reason behind India's middle failing is the fact that M.S Dhoni is simply not the same player as before. The former Indian captain has lost his big hitting prowess and India cannot rely on him completely as a finisher. Dhoni's batting position has been a source of massive debate. For most of his career, Dhoni has batted at number six, but it now looks to low for him.

In the last couple of years, Dhoni has walked out to bat at number four three times and scored 48 runs. The lack of an experienced finisher has resulted in India trying to stick with him at his normal position. However, if India can sort that issue out, Dhoni at number four could be an ideal solution. All through his career, Dhoni has played 29 innings in the position scoring 1271 runs at a strike rate of 94.71.

However, another problem with Dhoni's game in the last few years is that he takes too much time to settle in. Since the 2015 World Cup, Dhoni's strike rate has fallen to 81.52 with an extremely high dot ball percentage. The number four position requires someone to quickly rotate the strike and keep the scoreboard moving. Doubts behind Dhoni's ability to do it is a big reason behind Kohli not giving him more opportunities at the spot. Although, if India continues to struggle to find a viable option, their best alternative will be Mahendra Singh Dhoni.