After Australia debacle, Anil Kumble names India's number four

Former India captain and coach Anil Kumble thinks India should assign the task of batting at No.4 in the upcoming World Cup to MS Dhoni, a man with a sea of experience. The Men in Blue have been struggling to find the right top order combination and were seen experimenting with players in the batting order in almost all games. They had zeroed in on Ambati Rayudu for the No.4 position but his form has been far from satisfactory.

A less than sure plan in organising the top order also saw India squandering an ODI series against Australia at home 2-3 after gaining a 2-0 lead. With India having no more international games coming up before the WC starting May 30, the former spinner felt India’s middle-order has been left unsettled. India had a series of victories in ODIs, more overseas than home, but they failed to deliver in the latest series against the Aussies, raising questions over their preparation for the mega event.

While Rayudu was dropped for the final two ODIs against Australia in Mohali and Delhi respectively, India did not have a fixed replacement at No.4. While captain Virat Kohli came in at No. 4 in Mohali with KL Rahul taking his No.3 position, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was in at that position in Delhi. Neither Kohli nor Pant could score big at No.4 though.

Top three important for India to win, says Kumble

For ‘Jumbo’, as Kumble is known as, the answer to the puzzle lies in Dhoni. “If you look back at the last couple of years of success that the Indian team has had, it has been mainly due to the fact that the top three have performed consistently, and it still remains so. In a 50-over game, you want your top three to contribute,” Kumble, the highest wicket-taker of the 1996 World Cup, was quoted as saying by CricketNext.

“For me, I still believe MS Dhoni should bat at 4. [Numbers] 5, 6 and 7 is something that you need to start thinking about and that’s where I felt that there was too much chopping, changing and trying to figure out who will fit in into that 4, 5 or 6 in that middle order other than MS Dhoni. That to me has made it a little more unsettling for us, watching from outside.”

About Kohli’s batting position, Kumble felt the Indian captain should be in the top three.

[interaction id=”5c86604218d43d4f62bc1c78″]

Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.