Rishabh Pant: The solution to India's opening woes

Opening in Tests is an art which requires a strong temperament, critical evaluation and calculative risks. Test cricket does not only require putting quick runs upfront but to negotiate the early spells, especially in hostile conditions, with the pitch offering assistance to the bowlers.

Sunil Gavaskar, Geoff Marsh and Desmond Haynes epitomized the qualities of a quintessential Test opener, proving their pedigree on numerous occasions.

It was only after the advent of batsmen like Virender Sehwag and Matthew Hayden that opening in Test cricket was redefined. These batting legends ushered in a new era, with a knack for playing aggressively, while also having the perseverance to carry their bat across sessions.

Virender Sehwag was the backbone of the Indian side at the top of the order for a decade, and his partnership with Gautam Gambhir was instrumental in India climbing the apex of Test Rankings.

In the current scenario, India has three openers in Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay and KL Rahul, all of whom have failed to make an impact on the overseas tours. The plight of the opening can be considered by the fact that there have been only two opening partnerships of 50+ in the past 14 innings overseas. They have failed miserably on the current tour, due to which the team has fallen short while chasing mediocre targets.

The trio of openers has failed to make an impact on overseas tours

In such a scenario, it is instrumental for the captain and the management to think out of the box and invest in new prospects to take the burden of opening on their shoulders. While the predecessors of Virat Kohli: Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni, have perplexed the sporting fraternity with their unorthodox decisions, this element seems to be missing in Kohli's captaincy.

Ever since the inception of cricket, a wicketkeeper has been an indispensable part of any side. The captain may opt to bat deep or field a strong bowling attack, although it is inevitable for the keeper to don gloves and convert the chances created by the bowlers behind the stumps.

Conventionally, a player equipped with the qualities of vigilantism, swiftness and athleticism made a perfect candidate for donning the gloves. The task of the keeper was to regulate the proceedings behind the stumps, with the runs scored by them considered as a bonus.

It was not until the advent of modern legends such as Adam Gilchrist, MS Dhoni, Kumar Sangakkara and Brendon McCullum, that the role of a wicketkeeper was revolutionized, from a part time batsman to a ferocious striker and game changer.

Rishabh Pant

In this context, it is apt for the team to entrust the opening responsibilities on the shoulders of young Rishabh Pant. While this statement would have raised many eyebrows, but the move promises to pay good dividends in the future.

Though Pant is only two Test matches old and has not made much impact with the bat, there are many favourable factors to support his promotion at the top of the order. Pant is a ferocious striker of the ball, who can dismantle any opposition line up with his exploits. On occasions when no plan works, attack seems to be the best form of defence, and Pant's game plan.

Rishabh Pant during a tour match in England

Like his idol Virender Sehwag, Pant also has great hand-eye coordination complemented by his sheer muscle power. Pant being a southpaw also comes in the overall interest of the team, as it can result in strong opening partnerships with the likes of Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Aggarwal in future.

Though Pant is typically projected as a T20 specialist, his triple hundred in First Class cricket is a testimony to his temperament for carrying the bat across sessions. He does not seem to be daunted by the pitch or the conditions and adapts to the situation while backing his natural game.

Although the Delhi skipper is a middle-order batsman in domestic cricket, opening is not a brand new task for him. The 20-year old has opened the innings for India at the U-19 level, also amassing 267 runs in 6 matches in the 2016 U19 World Cup.

Sourav Ganguly promoted Sehwag at the top of the order. MS Dhoni transformed Rohit Sharma as an opener. The rest, as is say, is history. Thus, at with Indian batting order being at crossroads, and with the ICC Test Championship at sight, it is the perfect time to make a bold decision, allowing Pant to carry forward the legacy of Virender Sehwag, in a bid to resurge the dominance as the No.1 Test Team in the world.