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‘The 4 to 6 Syndrome’ in our batting order is what I had explained during the build-up for the World Cup 2019. My blog is of course read by few – former cricket colleagues, who are knowledgeable without much influence on the big guys making decisions at the top there. Well, when one hailed as the No. 1 batsman in the world is your captain, supported by a glamorous former India cricketer as the coach, no one can advise.

The No. 4 continued to be the downfall during the world cup. To add to that instead of dropping Dhoni, the over enthusiasm to continue to make him bat up the order, killed any further possibilities of a recovery. The original No. 4 would have been ejected out of the 11 soon if it weren’t for Dhawan’s injury giving him an opportunity to open the innings. KL Rahul thus survived to be put up with the big three, Rohit, Kohli and Dhawan as the only four batsmen who performed.

India never found the illusive No. 4, while in the process killing a proven all-rounder, Kedar Jadhav. Despite making a match winning half century, he could never settle down well after the game was torturously slowed down by Dhoni. Jadhav got dropped, while Dhoni continued to play to ensure India were left with no chances!

What pains me is not the loss, but, the refusal to learn. Even today, in the shorter format, we don’t wish to rotate the batting order to keep 1 to 6 batsmen among runs.

Back to Test Match Cricket - As the first Test unfolds in the West Indies; one wonders what went wrong with Rahane to be kept so decisively out of the scheme of things for the World Cup. Thank God, Rahane has scored runs - there were talks before this Test that he could be kept out of the 11. Strange are our ways!

At this stage, let me put across just a few more issues – now in relation to the Tests:-

-              Rohit Sharma is too good a batsman to be lost out because we can’t help him. Virender Sehwag became a world class opening batsman, not by technique, but by the yardstick of number of runs scored. To begin with, he was considered worthy of playing the shorter format mainly. However, despite being a blaster in one day games, he never came up to be as good as Rohit is today. Dhawan himself is no better a new-red-ball player than Rohit. But, he has been successful in Tests also. So, why don’t we ask Rohit to open in Tests also instead of trying over and over again to find a place for him in the middle order? He might just go blasting the new red ball also.

-              Test match cricket has changed because of the influence of the shorter format. The batsmen have little patience. They give away wickets to bowler who bowls on the line. Jadeja, would have ended up in olden times like Bapu Nadkarni’s 30 overs 27 maidens without many wickets. It’s perfectly alright to say we pick someone who gets wickets – and Jadeja does that today. But, let us remember that the game would be different against better batting sides and on friendlier tracks. I only hope that we don’t end up in killing Ashwin - one of the best spinners in the world.

-              Is it that that anyone who begins to show up as a leadership material gets into trouble? Rahane and Ashwin have gone through that - is it your turn Rohit?

The 4 To 6 Syndrome

Recently, I came across a comment about Women’s Cricket, “At No. 3 there is Mithali – the concerns start after that at no. 4 to 7”.

That reminded me of the far more pronounced 4 to 6 problem in men’s cricket. We have batsmen who, despite bags of talent and experience, are made to doubt their own ability because of circumstances. It’s a creation of those who are extremely good and therefore can’t be pointed out for any wrong. They control the affairs to play for their happiness, inadvertently compromising the team's interest.

We look around the country for replacements, considering that as a technical need. We don’t realise that it is not such a complex issue as it is made out to be. In the current scenario, there will never be strong   no. 4, 5, 6 unless we change our approach to nurturing batsmen at those spots. It is more of a human than a technical issue.

Confidence in oneself and assurance of a secure place in the side are fundamental needs for a batsman to play to his potential or even beyond. The best of them are likely to fail if given an indication that lack of runs this time at the crease may lead to an end.

Thus 4, 5, and 6 are the most demanding batting positions in ODIs. If your no. 1 to 3 fire, after taking enough time to build their innings, they leave about 10 to 15 overs for those coming later. With the task of enhancing the run rate further, the middle order has to take far more chances – a brisk 30 or 40 is considered a good effort. The 4, 5 and 6, who have been picked as batsmen (and not all-rounders) don’t usually get enough time in good conditions to log big scores. Now, when 1,2 and 3 fail under bad batting conditions on a fast wicket with the ball seeming, 4, 5 and 6 have tremendous pressure. They have to stay on, score fast enough and big – all that without big scores to back up for retention of their places if they fail this time.

We brought up this malaise upon us when critics opined in favour of a young Tendulkar to bat early in ODIs. Taking a cue from there, both Ganguli and Tendulkar began opening innings in ODIs. Incidentally, opening is the easiest batting position in ODIs as the white ball swings little and there are initial field restrictions. Otherwise someone like Rohit Sharma, who has a known weakness of not coming well behind the line of the moving red cherry wouldn’t have been a great ODI opening batsman. Ganguli and Tendulkar did that and today Rohit and Virat do the same – they go back to occupy safer batting positions in Test cricket.

Do we play in team or individual interest, is the moot question. The best guys batting at 1 to 3 leave a vulnerable line up at 4 to 6. Despite all respect for MS Dhoni, it would be wrong to accept that he is or has ever been a batsman worth occupying a position at 4, 5 or 6. And, however good Rayadu, Karthik and Jadhav may be, they don’t have the benefit of big scores behind them for confidence.

The time is running out for the World Cup preparations. However, as a permanent measure, the following two approaches need to be adopted immediately for us not to fall under the Shastry/ Kohli/ Rohit illusion:-

(1)  One of the two (Rohit or Virat) must bat down the order (at 4 or 5) to provide stability. This will give another batsman (there are many accomplished ones) an opportunity to bat freely early on in the innings. Some of those are instinctively opening batsmen but who are uncomfortably pushed down the order to allow big guns to play early.

(2)  India must adopt a policy of rotation. Let’s make a list of 6 batsmen. Each one of them must get an opportunity to bat within 1 to 3 at least once in three or four matches. The 1 to 3 (Dhawan, Rohit and Kohli) must give way by coming back in batting order sometimes.

Rohit and Kohli, the proven champions need not worry about their positions if a Rahul, Rahane, Karthik, or Kedar performs as well or better than them sometimes at 1, 2, 3. That will only help them to be more confident and better equipped to bat in more trying conditions at no. 4 to 6 when the big guns fall early, which happens regularly once in a few innings.

In all this, Dhoni must continue to bat freely (not before no. 7) as he is never on test. Some would however, point out that with Karthik in the side Dhoni has been blocking the place for a batsman like Rahane, who would certainly do better if given confidence.

May good sense prevail and our team spirit rise high!

Best wishes to Men’s as well as Women’s Cricket!