India's future 'middle-order'

Good things don’t last forever.

As hysterical cricket fans, we can never forget the sublime technique of Rahul Dravid, the wristy flicks of VVS Laxman, the powerful straight drives of Sachin Tendulkar and the unstoppable cover drives of Sourav Ganguly. These moments make us feel lucky to be there and be able to watch these legends in action. However, with the retirement of the Old Guard, and Sachin’s test cricket days in its last legs, the future holds a daunting task of filling the shoes of these cricketing greats.

The very thought that these players getting replaced may seem crazy and impossible, but it can be done. Every player can be replaced. So which players will constitute the new Indian test team ‘middle order’?

1. Virat Kohli

India’s ODI specialist Virat Kohli has already achieved a lot at a very young age. 13 centuries in ODIs with an average of 52.20 has shown us what he is capable of. For Kohli it is time to prove himself in test cricket as well. The tour against West Indies in 2011 exposed his weakness to short balls. Also, swearing at fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground who were insulting him, raises questions about his temperament. His average of 32.73 in Tests don’t do justice to his talents. There are a lot of changes which Kohli has to make to his approach to Test cricket before he can start playing match-winning knocks. Kohli is a fighter which will surely motivate him to improve himself in Test matches and be the future of the team’s middle-order.

2. Cheteshwar Pujara

After seeing Pujara play, one cannot stop comparing him with Rahul Dravid. With his excellent technique and his ability to play long innings’, Pujara is the Golden Boy of our middle-order. One can always rewind back to his match-winning knock of 76 against the Aussies in 2010.Coming in to bat in place of Dravid, in a pressure situation, he showed just the right amount of aggression in an innings which crushed the Aussie hopes. Since then, Pujara has been a bit unlucky with injuries. However, we can expect a lot from a guy who is both technically and mentally perfect to be the next Rahul Dravid.

3. Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane’s first class cricket exploits are well known. He has a brilliant average of 63.94. Not having earned a test cap yet, little can be said about how Rahane will perform under the grueling workout of Test cricket. If first class cricket and ‘A’ team stats are seen, Rahane’s talent is unquestionable. His ability to bat anywhere in the top 6 makes him a great asset. We’ve seen some flashes of brilliance by him at ODIs and IPL. With a sound technique and versatile stroke making, Rahane can become a important member in our test team. We can only hope that his first class success continues at the international level.

4. Manoj Tiwary

Tiwary is another player who has performed consistently well at first class level. It was due to bad luck that he got injured when selected for the national team. Tiwary is an excellent fielder and a very aggressive batsman. Some say that his aggression is more suited for the shorter versions of the game. However, his aggression hasn’t stop him from compiling a brilliant average of 60.72 in first class cricket. The match winning innings of 104(not out) against West Indies in 2011 was the highlight of his career. The innings was brilliantly paced and filled with maturity. After observing this innings, we can be sure of Manoj Tiwary’s ability to play a long innings when required, if he makes it to the Test team.

5. Rohit Sharma

Sharma is definitely the most talented and technically gifted player among all the above players. Rohit Sharma has only himself to blame for his failures. One moment, he will play a brilliant innings highlighted with exquisite shots, and the next moment he’ll be struggling to score even 10-20 runs. Rohit Sharma is a mystery to everyone. As a player, he has the ability to be the best in the world. His heart and his mind has to be in the right place for that. If Rohit has to be the future of the Indian team, a lot of effort has to come from his side. We cannot write off Sharma. The day he gets his goals set, he can lead our batting attack with great success.