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The problem of plenty is something that worries a lot of teams, in cricket especially. Sometimes, the bowling department is overloaded, and sometimes the batting department. India is at the moment suffering from the same, albeit for its No. 4 batting position.
Since the end of ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015, they have tried as many as ten different batsmen to fill the gap, but it would be inevitable to say the move has not been successful.
Even stalwarts like Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have stepped up to the fore, but not to much avail. The issue is not that simple as it appears to be and requires a serious look in.
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Here, we take a look of how these ten players have fared when given a chance or have been asked to perform the role of a No. 4 batsman.
The 2019 World Cup in England is exactly a year away, and India would like to settle their woes as soon as possible.
They have the players with the right mix of potential and aggression required to suit that role, but who will it be when it matters the most.
Also, Suresh Raina has been someone who has not got a chance to bat at No. 4 during this time, while newcomers like Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav have also got an opportunity to try their luck.
#1 Ajinkya Rahane
Innings: 10, Runs: 420, Average: 46.66
Team India's vice-captain in Test cricket has often found himself in troubled waters in the ODI setup.
Though his contribution to the team has always been immense, questions have been raised about his exact position in the Indian team. He is someone who is ready to adapt to any situation against any opposition and on any kind of wicket.
Since 2015, he has been relatively successful at the No. 4 spot as compared to his counterparts. An average nearing 50 shows how important his contribution can be in the middle overs.
The current scenario depicts it is quite tough for him to break into the squad for 2019 Cricket World Cup. If he manages to do so, the management would not back away from giving him an opportunity at No. 4.
India is in desperate need of a steady batsman at that slot and the experience and class of Rahane can prove to be quite handy and can lend a healthy balance to the side.
#2 Yuvraj Singh
(Innings: 9, Runs: 358, Average: 44.75)
Undoubtedly, one of the cleanest strikers of the ball in India, Yuvraj Singh has been fairly successful in his stay on the crease as a No. 4 batsman.
An average in the early 40s might not do justice to his talent and capabilities, but he has been given a decent run at the coveted spot before the baton was passed on to others. He has also scored two half-centuries while batting at No. 4.
Yuvraj fell out of favour from the selectors after the away ODI series in West Indies last June. It's been a year he has played an ODI with the national side, and chances of his return seem quite slim at the moment.
With a bunch of candidates coming in, it remains to be seen whether the selectors will support the veteran or not.
The southpaw has slowly been out of the selector's radar due to poor form and with age also against his side, he needs a miracle to come back into the side and stake his claim as a middle-order batsman.
#3 MS Dhoni
(Innings: 9, Runs: 320, Average: 35.55)
Former India captain, a wicket-keeper, a finisher and surely a legend, Mahendra Singh Dhoni took it upon himself to be a No. 4 a batsman after a couple of options could not produce the desired results.
Though he did not have much success here, he did manage to hit two fifties in the process of his nine innings.
The No. 4 conundrum has been haunting India since the 2015 Cricket World Cup, and there could have been no better person than Dhoni himself to take control of the team from that position. However, a flurry of players was given a run after his stint at No. 4.
MSD recently completed 10,000 ODI runs and it is such experience that the team is in need of at the moment. It will be interesting to see if Kohli backs Dhoni to do the job again for the benefit of the team.
#4 Manish Pandey
Innings: 7, Runs: 183, Average: 36.6
It has always been a tough run for Manish Pandey whenever he has been given an opportunity.
A certain section of the pundits believed that he was the perfect No. 4 India were looking for, after his maiden century batting at No. 4 while chasing a mammoth Australian target. India chased a target of 331 with two balls to spare and Pandey at the crease.
However, apart from this fantastic innings, he could not carry on his form ahead and was soon confined to a string of low scores. This prompted the team management to look for other options.
He last played an ODI in the home series against Sri Lanka in December and was a part of the recent T20 series against England, India emerging the winners 2-1.
One a free-flowing batsman, it seems the pressure to cement his place in the side has taken a toll on him and affected his performances of late.
He can surely bounce back and definitely needs a few matches under his belt to stamp his authority at No. 4.
#5 Hardik Pandya
Innings: 5, Runs: 150, Average: 30.00
Emerging to be one of the best all-rounders in the world at the moment, Hardik Pandya is as destructive with the bat as it can get.
Often coming in to bat at No. 7, he is used to power-hitting and clearing the boundaries at will. However, there has been a drastic change in the way he plays and has shown his maturity many times to occupy the crease when it's required.
The No.4 demands such qualities and that's exactly why he was chosen to take that spot for quite a while, majorly as an experiment.
However, the five innings he played could not produce anywhere close to the results that the management was aiming at.
He was able to average only 30 at the end of five innings. He, however, continues his murderous form down the order in the ongoing England tour, with both bat and ball in T20s.
Pandya is in destructive form at the moment and one must not be surprised if he is asked to deliver the goods at No. 4 by his superiors.
After all, he has so far managed to have decent outings in England, last year in Champions Trophy and in the ongoing series too.
#6 Dinesh Karthik
Innings: 5, Runs: 142, Average: 71.00
Probably one of those Indian players whose career could not never really take off in spite of being in contention more often than not is Dinesh Karthik.
He was given a run for five innings to settle at No. 4 and make that spot his own. Even though he averaged 71 with the bat, it wasn't convincing enough for the management to keep him in that position.
However, Karthik is someone whose place in the side is always on the edge. Sometimes he falls, sometimes he manages to hold his own.
Also, his batting order is not fixed on most of the occasions. This might have made him a flexible player, but maybe not consistent enough to place a bet as a regular No. 4 for Team India.
Karthik has hardly got to spend time in the middle after his magical unbeaten 8-ball 29 that helped India clinch the Nidahas Trophy against Bangladesh. He can prove to be a wise and thoughtful bet at No. 4 for World Cup 2019.
#7 Manoj Tiwary
Innings: 3, Runs: 34, Average: 11.33
Another case of luck gone wrong is Manoj Tiwary. One of the best talents in the domestic circuit, he got his India break in early 2008 and of the 12 ODIs he has played, he has a century and a half-century against his name.
However, the experiment to put him at No. 4 backfired big time and he could manage a mere 34 runs in three innings at a miserly average of 11.33.
He represented India in the ODI series in Zimbabwe where a lot of senior players were rested to test the country's bench strength.
His last innings in India colours came at No. 4 where he managed just 10 runs. Post that, he lost his place in the national side.
He still continues to lead his Bengal side in the domestic tournaments, but the chance to make it back to the top is bleak.
One of the most hard-working lads even when he is not in the team, Pandey probably needs a little longer rope to settle down and be made secure of his place in the side. If done so, he can be the player India is in need of.
#8 Kedhar Jadhav
Innings: 3, Runs: 18, Average: 9.00
A talented cricketer from Maharashtra, Kedar Jadhav presented himself as a strong contender for the ODI team with a century in just his fourth match.
He played 40 ODIs with two centuries and three half-centuries. But when was asked to bat at No. 4, he could not replicate the composure and the consistency that he had when batting down the order. He had come into the side as a replacement for Suresh Raina.
His injury after the first match of the IPL with Chennai Super Kings ruled him out of the entire tournament, and he was unable to make his way into the ODI squad for England.
Though his chances of making it to the World Cup squad now are quite slim, he can back himself due to his ability to bowl some important overs out there in the middle.
He has been quite successful whenever Kohli has asked him to roll his arms over.
#9 Virat Kohli
Innings: 2, Runs: 23, Average: 11.5
A winner in all aspects, best chaser in world cricket, and a highly successful Team India captain, Virat Kohli has been winnings hearts of the fans across the world.
Being a captain who leads from the front, he chose to occupy the No. 4 spot for a while but could not manage it well enough, scoring just 23 runs in two matches.
He would have given himself a little more time had he wanted to, but the leadership group had other plans.
Kohli has often discussed the No. 4 issue openly in a lot of press conferences, and with the World Cup just a year away, he will be keen on fixing this issue in the current England series itself.
In all probability, he can take the mantle upon himself to be India's rock-solid batsman and solve the puzzle that has been unanswered for quite a while now.
#10 KL Rahul
Innings: 2, Runs: 17, Average: 8.50
Sunil Gavaskar recently addressed him as the next big thing in Indian cricket. Such is the talent and potential of KL Rahul that it is difficult to discard him from the setup of any format. With the No. 4 jinx continue to haunt India, Rahul was provided an opportunity to bat at the all-important position once.
With just one inning under his sleeve at No. 4, he managed just 17 runs and was not asked to bat there again.
After that, he was recently asked to bat there again where he remained not out on 9, with the chase almost being done and dusted by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. It remains to be seen if he is in Kohli's plans to fit into the batting order at that responsible position.
If Rahul is able to crack the code right now in England, he would in all probability board the flight to England for the World Cup next year.
In the recently-concluded ODI against England at Lord's, he was moved to No.4 but was out for a duck. He may still get another shot at it, and it would be great news for Team India if he is able to perform.
Who is the ideal for the No.4 position? Sound off your opinions in the comments section below!
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