India's ideal opening combination for the 2nd test

Virat Kohli should make a quick decision over who India’s openers will be for the 2nd test against South Africa

Once the Indian bowlers successfully defended a paltry target of 218 in Mohali, it marked the first time that India had won the first test match in a series against South Africa at home since 1996. The Proteas, who had firmly had the upper hand for most of the series, had come undone by the demons in their mind.

The misconceptions of a spinning minefield was etched so deeply in their heads as most batsmen played for spin and got out to straight deliveries. On the other hand, the Indian top order came good in both innings of the test, forging useful partnerships, which eventually proved the difference.

Both Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara had good test matches. Vijay has arguably been India’s best batsman in the last 12 months, with his impeccable resolution outside the off-stump. He has one of the highest percentages of leaves in the test cricket in recent times, which only serves as an example of how good he is.

Pujara, who was dropped after a string of poor performances, decided to play county cricket for England to rediscover his form. He scored a century on his return to the side in Sri Lanka and now a half-century in Mohali.

But not all of India’s top order is having the time of their lives. Shikhar Dhawan had an entirely forgettable test match, where he bagged a pair and dropped a catch in the second innings. He became the first Indian opener to score a pair at home after Farokh Engineer in 1975. Despite India taking away a lot of positives from the first test, Virat Kohli will still look to plug the holes in his ship, and choosing a solid opening combination might just be his first priority.

The Woes of Shikhar Dhawan

kShikhar Dhawan hasn’t had a very good season

After a fiery start against Australia in 2013, Dhawan made a name for himself in the Champions Trophy later that year. He scored brilliant centuries in the swinging English conditions and back at home, he gave India rousing starts every other match. Along with Rohit Sharma in ODIs and Murali Vijay in tests, Dhawan had become a crucial player for India.

But then, India began to tour overseas and it all went wrong for him. He started well, though. He scored 115 and 98 in New Zealand, which saw praises being sung of him about how well he could adjust in foreign conditions.

Reality struck in the tour to England, where he made 122 runs in 6 innings, without a single half-century. It did not improve in the tour to Australia either, where he made 167 runs in 6 innings.

While he regained some vestige of form in the tour of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, scoring consecutive centuries, both came after dropped chances in the field. Neither were particularly fluent and his lack of confidence in the middle was visible.

If his fans thought his form would improve at home, they were far from right, as he bagged a pair in the first test. The last batsman to score a pair for India in tests was Suresh Raina, and he has never since played again.

It was a reflection of his poor form in the ODIs as well, where he struggled to score runs against the rising delivery, and kept sticking his bat outside the off-stump – a dangerous move in test cricket. If Kohli decides to make changes for the second test, Dhawan might be the first casualty.

The Monk of Indian cricket

Murali Vijay has been the backbone of Indian batting over the last 12 months

After a couple of stop-starts seven years ago, Murali Vijay cemented his place in the side with a terrific century against Australia at home. With both Gambhir and Sehwag fading in the longest format, India needed a solid opener whom they could depend on, and Vijay fit the bill.

In the 2013 Border-Gavaskar trophy, he amassed 430 runs in 4 matches and then scored 148 runs in two games against South Africa, narrowly missing out on a century when he was dismissed on 97.

The tiniest of cracks in his armour formed in the tour to New Zealand, where he could only manage 48 runs in two tests. But hard work and concentration paid off, as he became unstoppable after that. He was India’s best batsman by a mile in the tour to England, where he scored 402 runs in 5 tests. He went better in the tour to Australia, scoring 482 runs in 4 tests.

In the lone match against Bangladesh, he made 150 in his only innings, and then rounded it off with an excellent 82 in Sri Lanka. In the first test at Mohali, he showed immeasurable patience and concentration, gritting it out in the middle when even the mighty South Africans had crumbled. Vijay toyed with the spinners, regularly coming down the track to loft them over the infield, and showed that the pitch was not as dangerous as it seemed.

Vijay will be Kohli’s trump card in the second test, as he will hope that Vijay will continue his habit of frustrating the opposition bowlers and putting up a good score on the board. But the fact remains that the Indian team management is in two minds of whom to pair him with. One candidate is Shikhar Dhawan, and the other – KL Rahul.

The Enigma that is KL Rahul

KL Rahul has impressed and exasperated in equal measure

Coming in with a star-studded plaque of praise from none other than his namesake Rahul Dravid himself, KL Rahul stunned the world in his debut at the MCG. Not with a great innings, but with a display of idiocy. In both innings, he gave his wicket away by playing unnecessary shots.

As Rahul walked forlornly back to the pavilion, many fans were stunned and even enraged by his callous approach to a crucial game, and they wondered if he’d ever play again. But Virat Kohli persisted with him for the fourth test, where he was sent in to open.

He immediately came good, taking over as the senior partner after Vijay was dismissed for a duck. He first constructed a 97 run partnership with Rohit Sharma, and then a 141 run stand with Virat Kohli. He reached his maiden test century in the process, and proved Dravid’s words right.

In the Sri Lanka series, his ability to blow hot and cold was on focus again. After getting out to some daft shots in the first match, he scored an imperious 108 in the second, which helped India wrestle the advantage away from Sri Lanka in the series.

His knock was the turning point in the series, which India grabbed with both hands to level the series. But apart from that knock, his scores in the series read 7, 5, 2, 2 and 2.

But the fact remains that Rahul has scored two centuries in his first two series, and despite not showing the best of consistency, he has proved that he can bat for long periods in the middle. This will undoubtedly play on the mind of the team management as they size up Rahul and Dhawan, fully knowing that they only have one spot available.

The opening combination conundrum

The opening combination of Vijay-Rahul is India’s best bet for the 2nd test

Even as the second test approaches like an incoming train, the team management still resemble a deer caught in the headlights. There has been no confirmation over who will be selected, and it is entirely possible that we will have to wait until the day before the match, at the very least. But it is imperative that the selectors decide on a steady opening combination, for a good start to the match can go a long way in deciding the final result.

Murali Vijay has been rock solid in his slot, so there is no question of taking him out. There could have been a whisper of moving Cheteshwar Pujara up the order, but his knocks of 31 and 77 at No. 3 would have been a firm reminder of where he wanted to bat. So the toss up will be between KL Rahul and Dhawan, and the odds seem to favour the former.

The selectors have given Dhawan enough chances, and the fact remains that he isn’t at his best. Whether it is a mental block or a technique issue, Dhawan’s ineffectiveness has been on show all year.

He has shown that he has a tendency to flash at balls outside the off-stump, a fact that has been used to South Africa’s advantage. With Rahul on the bench, after two centuries in two series, the selectors have an ideal opportunity to make a youngster benefit from playing a world-class team in friendly conditions at home.

The fact that Rahul was not discharged from the test team like Rohit, Bhuvneshwar and Binny is good news for him, for it means that the selectors are pondering his inclusion in the side. With good knocks backing him up, Rahul has a very good chance of playing his first test match in India – and it has to be said that he deserves it.

The opening combination of Vijay-Rahul should be India’s best combination in the series, with both batsmen having the ability to stay in the crease for long periods. They have shown that they can negotiate both pace and spin, and they are India’s best bet as they go in to the second match looking to extend their lead.