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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?