Testing times: will Dhoni transform from a finisher to a sheet anchor

Down one nil in the series; an ODI series defeat against arch rivals Pakistan; a Test series defeat at the hands of the English and another top order collapse, it was not a great time to walk in to the middle. But Dhoni entered the arena in his typical dashing style with an air of élan like a gladiator, fired up and ready to go. He produced another master class to bail out India and helped India level the series.

Equally laudable were the contributions of Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and rookie Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. Dhoni has been chipping in with valuable contributions consistently lower down the order of late. It begs the question, is there a case for the captain to push himself up the batting order. Is Dhoni missing the boat by not calling the shots himself when it sets out initially and by coming in later in the voyage, only to steady it in stormy waters?

Before the match, Ravi Shastri, who is becoming increasingly banal behind the microphone these days, for a change, had something interesting to say. He said, “by the time he (Dhoni) picks up his broom, the s**t has hit the ceiling.” Strong words indeed; but words that echoed the shambles that the Indian top order finds itself in. Sehwag has been dropped following his bad run of form, Gambhir hasn’t converted his starts into big scores, Virat’s purple patch seems to be over, and Yuvi’s ODI form hasn’t quite mirrored his T20 form since his return.

The failure of the top order has put enormous pressure on the lower middle order, and in all fairness, they have given a good account of themselves, particularly Dhoni, who has done very well. With the top order not doing well and Dhoni being the most in form batsman at the moment, what’s holding him back from coming up the order? Do the numbers rule in favour of Dhoni playing higher up the order?

Dhoni has an exceptional ODI record – in 216 matches he has amassed 7215 runs at an enviable average of 52.28 and a healthy strike rate of 88.28. Dhoni has batted in all positions from 1 to 8 for Team India. Given that Dhoni can play both the role of a sheet anchor and an aggressor, Dhoni has often been employed as a floater in the Indian middle order.

But some of Dhoni’s best innings have come right up the order. Dhoni has played 37 matches in the top 4 and has scored 2001 runs at an average of 74.11. Some of his best knocks like the 183* against Sri Lanka and the 148 against Pakistan came when he batted at number 3. At the number 3 position specifically, his average soars to 82.75.

Interestingly Dhoni’s strike rate is much higher when he bats up the order; he boasts a strike rate of nearly 100 when he bats up the order. This is particularly interesting as it gives an insight into the way Dhoni paces his innings. He generally strikes at somewhere around 70 runs per 100 balls early on and accelerates towards the end, finishing at more than run a ball. The recent knock in Kochi testifies this – he was circumspect in the middle overs and set up a grand stand finish in the death overs. I think this is the one defining quality in Dhoni’s batting which makes him the apt candidate to play in the all-important number 3 position.

For the past two decades, India has had the luxury of players like Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly who would bat long and pace their innings as the game demanded. Perhaps it is the T20 culture today that not many players in the Indian batting line up actually can emulate what the likes of Sachin and Ganguly did. There might be the occasional match when a Gambhir or Yuvi does it, but not on a consistent basis. This is where Dhoni with his wealth of experience can be of use up the order.

So what are the reasons then holding back Mahi?

One, Kohli has been in sensational form in 2012 and has made the number three position his own. But there has been a recent slump in his form. Maybe India needs Kohli to bat high up the order. With Sehwag approaching the autumn of his career, Gambhir struggling for form, the openers slot is up for grabs. Will the Indian think tank experiment with Kohli opening the innings. Will the talented boy from Delhi follow in the footsteps of Sachin, who too moved from the middle order to opening the innings?

The second reason holding back Dhoni is the fact that he is also an excellent finisher. Many have likened the Indian skipper to the likes of Michael Hussey and Michael Bevan in terms of finishing cricket matches. Statistics actually tell Dhoni is even better than the Aussies. So why try to change something that is working well for India ? Yuvi and Raina are also equally capable of finishing off games provided a solid platform is laid by the likes of Dhoni and Virat playing higher up the order.

On current form, it does seem India needs Dhoni higher up the order as much as they need him lower down. Unfortunately for India and fortunately for the opponents, India has only one Dhoni. Common sense dictates that the best batsman be given as many overs to play. It’s a trick Pakistan missed with Inzamam later on his career, when Inzi played in the lower middle order. India seems to be falling into the same trap.

A multitude of factors, like Dhoni’s success higher up the order, the void left by the retirement of senior players, and the lack of a genuine sheet anchor higher up the order calls for the Indian skipper to promote himself up the order. With a couple of years to go for the World Cup 2015, all this experimenting and tinkering around with the batting line up should start right now if India entertain thoughts of defending their title.

Dhoni needs to pick his broom earlier to avoid the mess hitting the ceiling, rather than wait and clean it after it reaches the ceiling.