5 reasons why MS Dhoni should not bat at No. 7

The decision of the Indian think-tank to send MS Dhoni at No. 7 in the 4th ODI of the ongoing series against Australia has baffled fans and pundits alike. For a batsman of his calibre who has done so much for his nation, and time and again expressed his desire to bat higher up the order towards the end of his career, the decision was nonsensical at best.

Not only was it farcical, but it made little cricketing sense, as the wrong batting order may have cost India the game. Fans instantly expressed their displeasure on social media about the decision, with a few pundits also questioning the move.

The change in batting order was a good experiment but it meant Dhoni was batting out of position. It is something to think about

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 28, 2017

If Dhoni’s abilities are to be utilised well, India must find a place for him higher up the order. Here are 5 reasons why Dhoni should not bat at no. 7 for India.

Numbers don't lie

Let’s face it: Dhoni is one of the few batsmen in the current squad who has achieved cult status. With close to 10,000 runs and an astounding average of above 50 in ODIs, Dhoni has been the unlikely legend in the batting department. And these numbers are incredible because they were achieved by someone who, for the most part, batted at no. 6 and 7.

When you have a batsman with close to 10,000 runs approaching the fag end of his career, it is obvious that no. 7 is too low for him in the batting order.

No longer the finisher that he once was

Dhoni's finishing prowess in on the decline

For more than a decade now, MS Dhoni has been the finisher extraordinaire, India’s pride and the envy of the rest of the cricketing world. With five or 10 overs to go and an asking rate of around 10, there would often be a sense of relief when fans saw Dhoni stride in.

Not tension or doubt but sheer relief because you could bank on Dhoni to get the job done. That’s how consistent and remarkable Dhoni has been at the death. The number of matches he has won at the death for India are countless.

But the last few years have clearly witnessed a sharp decline in his finishing prowess. On quite a few occasions, Dhoni has struggled to finish off matches for the side. Moreover, he looks at home when he has time on his hands to expertly play himself in.

It is true that Dhoni has long given up being an out-and-out stroke-maker and taken on the role of a smart grafter. He is more comfortable in amassing runs by nudging balls and hitting the occasional big shot.

It is time for India to realise that Dhoni is no longer a good finisher. But he is still one of the best batsmen in the team which is why an evolved role higher up the order would suit him better.

A great strike-rotator and runner

Dhoni is a great manoeuvrer of the field

When you think of Dhoni, the image of a long-haired careless freak who went after every bowler from the word go comes to mind. Those brilliant knocks of 183 against Sri Lanka or 148 against Pakistan are still fresh in the memory of every Indian fan.

However, the captaincy role and age have changed him considerably to the extent that such aggression is a rarity now.

Adaptability is the name of the game for any player who wants to have a long career. Dhoni has adapted beautifully and changed his game now to become someone who can build the innings beautifully with partnerships and set up the game for the final onslaught.

Rotating strike and running between the wickets have become his forte now. A tireless runner, Dhoni, with his skill of manoeuvring the field and building solid partnerships, will be invaluable higher up the order. And he can be devastating if he gets set and stays till the end.

He could be the permanent no. 4

The solution to India's no.4 woes?

In the last few tours, India have tried every possible young batsman at no. 4 but none of them has come good. As Yuvraj Singh is out of the picture, India have tried KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav and recently Hardik Pandya at no. 4.

But none of them could make the crucial no. 4 spot theirs and though Pandya has come good in patches, his promotion is being thought of as an experiment at best. Too often in the last few tours have Pandey and Rahul thrown away their wickets resulting in spectacular middle-order collapses.

But on most of these occasions, India still managed to win as Dhoni brought with him a calming influence, put together good partnerships and seen them through.

Dhoni thus becomes the ideal man to solve India’s problems of finding the next no. 4. A smart grafter, the former skipper could be a rock of experience in the middle-order around whom the youngsters could thrive.

Square pegs in round holes

Dhoni needs to be allowed to play to his strengths

A lot of Indian fans were baffled by the decision to promote Hardik Pandya to no. 4 and send in Dhoni at no. 7. Pandya was originally supposed to develop into a finisher and take over the mantle from Dhoni.

And in modern cricket where every role needs the right cricketer, Pandya is the one to groom for the future. Sending him in as a pinch-hitter might work at times but if he plays a normal run-a-ball innings at no. 4 and gets out before the death, his abilities are wasted.

In the 4th ODI, India, at one stage, needed 60-odd runs to win from eight overs. Yet, they faltered thanks to some great death bowling from the Aussies and some poor decision-making by the Indian think-tank when it came to the batting order.

With their current best chaser Virat Kohli back in the pavilion, Dhoni was the man they needed to anchor the chase in the middle overs. And someone like Hardik in the last eight overs could have been the ideal candidate to take India home.

Instead, Hardik was wasted with a sedate middle-order batsman’s knock while Dhoni, who was asked to swing his bat as soon as he came in, looked completely out of sorts.

Ravi Shastri, the Indian coach, often mentioned the phrase ‘horses for courses’ during his stint as a commentator. Having Dhoni at no. 7 and Hardik at no. 4 is like asking an astronaut and a pilot to swap professions.