World Cup 2015: Analysing India's options for Number Four

Number four is said to be the position from where you tilt the balance of an ODI game. In the 2011 World Cup, India had Virat Kohli playing that role to perfection and he was supported ably by the likes of MS Dhoni, and a rampant Yuvraj Singh.

However, with just over a year left for the defence of the crown to begin, India’s batting looks uncertain in foreign conditions, and the number four slot has not been made anyone’s own. Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane and Yuvraj Singh have been tried at that position but nothing has quite gone right for India’s number four in ODIs for the past one year.

Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane

Yuvraj and Raina have been exposed by pace, and Rahane to his own indecision. For someone so assured in Test cricket, Rahane’s shot selection in ODIs is sometimes puzzling. As he has shown in the IPL, he can get runs by playing proper cricket shots, but all too often in ODIs, he tries to be too extravagant for his own good.

If Rahane can mellow down, play his own game, and not try to match the more extravagant players shot-for-shot, it will serve him well. Rahane showed in the recent Test series in South Africa that he is a very capable back foot player, a trait that will stand him in particularly good stead ahead of the World Cup in Austalia.

The biggest plus about Rahane is his solid technique and his ability to play long innings, albeit he hasn’t displayed that at the international level yet. Rahane is also a fantastic fielder and on the large grounds in Australia, every run saved will be vital.

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh

As for Yuvraj Singh, the world knows about his ability and the fact that he is a genuine match winner on his day. But, unfortunately for India and Yuvraj, those days have been few and far between in the last couple of years.

Yuvraj has been known to be a man for the big occasion, and his Man of the Series effort in the 2011 World Cup proved that beyond all doubt. But a big problem for Yuvraj has been that even on slow Indian pitches, he has been done in by the short pitched stuff. And on fast, bouncy Aussie wickets, the chin music will only increase, and Yuvraj will have to battle demons in his own head, and on the pitch.

If Yuvraj gets going, no ground in the world is big enough for him. So, what Yuvraj needs is a big domestic season, to fight his way back into the national setup and hopefully, push on to the World Cup.

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina

Like Yuvraj, Suresh Raina, on his day, is also a genuine match-winner. But, despite having played 190 ODIs, Raina has not nailed down a spot for himself in the line-up. The short ball has been Raina’s undoing for a while now, and there doesn’t seem to be any improvement made by him on that front.

Although in the recent past Raina has made attractive 20s and 30s, he hasn’t been able to convert his starts into the big scores that batsmen crave for. Admittedly, Raina was performing an admirable role as a finisher, but he surely has enough talent to build an innings and let others play around him.

If Raina can stick around for more than 10-15 overs, the damage that he can cause can deflate an opposition, and that is exactly what he should be working towards.

Other options

Although Raina, Yuvraj and Rahane are the three who’ve been tried, others like Ambati Rayudu and Cheteshwar Pujara will also fancy a shot at trying to make the World Cup. Pujara has shown in Test cricker that he can play proper cricketing shots and still score runs at a brisk pace, whereas Rayudu has been impressive for the Mumbai Indians, and batter at number four in the most recent ODI that India played.

Whoever gets the nod, MS Dhoni will have to look towards the World Cup soon, and give that person a long run in the team, so that come the World Cup, there will be no shortage of match practice. India’s tour to Australia will be of huge help, in terms of the players familiarizing themselves with the conditions.

But if India are to keep hold of their prized possession for a further four years, they will have to ensure that the middle order supports Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni and the most vital cog in the wheel will be the number four batsmen.

Author’s Pick: Yuvraj Singh: Although Yuvraj hasn’t been in the best of form lately, he is a genuine match winner, who has played big tournaments in Australia before. His Man of the Series showing in the previous World Cup could serve as as inspiration for him to achieve further heights in the 2015 edition as well.