India's 5 experiments with No. 4 position that failed

With each passing day, the Indian ODI setup is getting more and more complicated.

There are obvious flaws in the structure, acute concerns about injuries, and deeper quandaries about the specific players being tested.

The middle order is in jeopardy and unstable, the bowling combination is uncertain, a slew of key players are set to return from rehab, and a few youngsters are getting opportunities in this all-important World Cup year.

In an ideal scenario, this is the time (with only 2 months until the 2023 World Cup) when teams look to polish their tactics and combinations rather than frantically search for solutions to long-standing issues.

Just like India is doing right now, going for different permutations and combinations without any specific plan to move further, like their long-term Achilles heel — the No. 4 position.

It seems like Voldemort has cursed this position too, like he did for the "Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Since Yuvraj Singh nailed that position for a long time for India, no one has really stood up except for Shreyas Iyer, but he too has been injured. The mass audition program for the No. 4 position has lasted for nearly a decade.

Even skipper Rohit Sharma admitted the same in a recent interview, saying:

“Look, No. 4 has been an issue for us for a long time. After Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh), nobody has come and settled themselves in the role."

In this article, we will discuss players who got their chances at No. 4 for India but couldn't stamp their authority.

India's 5 failed experiments at No. 4 position

#5. Kedar Jadhav

A complete team man who was ready to don any role for the side, Kedar Jadhav was tried at the No.4 position. But in three matches, he could only muster 18 runs, averaging just 9.00, as he struggled to rotate the strike in that phase.

Jadhav, who was quite successful batting at No. 6, was soon sent to his usual finisher role.

#4. Rishabh Pant

India also tried to slot in Rishabh Pant at No. 4 in ODIs. The left-hander, however, in 16 games, was pretty inconsistent but started to get into the groove before getting out of the action due to an unfortunate car accident last year.

In these games, he played three highly significant knocks at the No. 4 position. The standout performance came against England in Manchester in July 2022, when he smacked 125 runs off 113 balls as India chased 260.

Overall, he has scored 492 runs at an average of 32.80 and a strike rate of 97.61 while batting at No. 4.

#3. Ajinkya Rahane

Opener Ajinkya Rahane was also one of the players who sacrificed his usual batting position to play at No. 4 in ODIs. Rahane did have relatively more success compared to others, as he amassed 843 runs in 25 innings at an average of 36.7.

However, his ball consumption in the middle and inability to score runs at a fair clip meant that the team had to look for another option once again.

#2. KL Rahul

In his limited chances, KL Rahul played a pretty decent role while batting at No. 4 for India. The opener was made to bat in the middle order to accommodate the trio of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli at the top.

In seven innings, he managed to score 241 runs, averaging 41.0, with one century. But considering his ability against pace, team management once again reverted him to the No. 5 position.

#1. Suryakumar Yadav

One of the most disappointing decisions in recent times for the Indian side has been to send Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4.

His struggle against the moving ball meant he was all at sea in his five chances, scoring just 30 runs at an average of just 6.00. He definitely has a big role in the team, but in the later part of the batting unit — the finishing role.