Ajinkya Rahane or Manish Pandey: Who gets the nod?

The Indians have somehow made it to the semi-final of the World T20. It wasn’t the prettiest way to reach it, but they did. In spite of reaching such an advanced stage in a tournament played in their backyard, gaping holes in the Indian batting lineup remains. In addition, the reason for them reaching this stage can be epitomized in just two words – Virat Kohli.

Kohli’s innings wasn’t just any innings you watched. It wasn’t that innings where you came out saying, “That was bloody brilliant.” It was that sort of innings that brought tears to your eyes. It was that sort of innings that sent out the message each and everyone wanted to hear – “Elegant cricket sure does have a future, and a bright one at that.”

The Wankhede Stadium will stage yet another marquee encounter. While the Indians and the Windies have had some massive clashes over the years, there is something special about this one. While form hasn’t been on the side of the Indians, the Windies are still licking the wounds inflicted on them by a spirited Afghanistan side. In all fairness, the Windies were without their main man – Chris Gayle while Andre Fletcher suffered a torn hamstring.

As mentioned earlier, it is no secret that Virat Kohli has carried the weight of this side into the semi-final amid a few meaningful contributions from skipper MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh. However, the Indian management, especially Ravi Shastri will be more concerned about the form of the other batsmen completing the batting unit for the Indians. The bowling has been disciplined, to say the least, thus thrusting the spotlight on the under-performing batting unit.

It began in the 8^th over when Suresh Raina played the worst shot in his armory. 49/3 in a 161-run chase- improbable yet not impossible. A few short minutes later, Yuvraj Singh twists his ankle. The physio, however, said that he can continue. When he got out with almost a hundred runs to get off the last 9 overs, it has now become Mission Impossible.

The Indian top order has failed to fire ever since returning from Australia. A stat shows that 65% of the aggregate runs were scored by Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. The 34-year old Indian skipper too has played his part scoring 74 runs in the few balls he has faced. While the stat looks really fruity for most Kohli and Dhoni fans, it means that 35% or maybe even lesser has been scored by the other batsmen of the side.

Need more evidence? Virat Kohli has smashed 184 runs at an average of 92 and a strike rate of 132. And not to forget, this is the player who conceded that he is not someone who plays the big shots. Well, he doesn’t play the big shots, he plays the big innings for the team. In contrast, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina have 181 runs between them at an average of 11. Also to be noted that these are the players who fill the positions No.1, No. 2, No. 4 and No.5.

Well, this is certainly a first. When four of the top 5 batsmen don’t perform, especially in an ICC organized tournament against quality opposition, you will certainly be on the next flight back home. But the Indians are still in the tournament. Better yet, many have even tipped the Indians to go all the way and lift the title.

Apart from discussing whether the Indians deserve to win the title, given their performances is another topic altogether. However, can they change their current performance and relieve some of the burdens on the shoulders of Virat Kohli? They certainly can.

Ajinkya Rahane hasn’t missed a single net session right through the tournament. Whether it was optional or compulsory, Rahane always made his presence felt in the nets. Better yet, he was the only batsman to take part in the optional net session before the Indians faced Pakistan at the Eden Gardens. The Brabourne Stadium served as the venue to India’s optional practice session yesterday. This time, it was both Ajinkya Rahane and Manish Pandey who took part.

A statement provided prior to the start of the tournament from MS Dhoni stated that it would be difficult to include Ajinkya Rahane in the XI. This raised the uneasy question of why was someone, who was the highest Indian run-scorer in the 2015 edition of the IPL left out in the cold to warm the benches. The statement from Dhoni further stated that Rahane would only be called upon to replace either one of the openers.

The last few innings have seen Shikhar Dhawan scored 1, 6, 23 and 13. Former England skipper Nasser Hussain summed it up almost perfectly – “Form may come and go, but class remains and Dhawan and Rohit are two class players.” Is Shikhar Dhawan out of form perhaps? Well, if he is, then how does he manage to find the middle of the bat. While many blame the conditions for the openers’ poor form, Ajinkya has been waiting patiently in the wings.

It happened in the 2014 edition as well in Bangladesh, where Rahane was called in to cover for a badly out-of-form Shikhar Dhawan. MS Dhoni is a skipper who enjoys continuity in the side, but his gambling instinct may well see Rahane and Manish Pandey make their way to the side. The fact that the venue just so happens to be Rahane’s home ground makes his inclusion in the side all the more possible. In addition, Ajinkya Rahane was seen practicing his front-foot pull shot in the nets, a shot that is conducive on wickets offering an abundance of bounce.

26-year old Manish Pandey has been drafted into the Indian side for Yuvraj Singh. No one can forget Pandey’s magnificent and unbeaten 104 against the Aussies at Sydney, a knock that saw the Indians pickup their first win of the tour down under. Unfortunately for Pandey, it was the last innings he played in an Indian shirt.

Now arises an uneasy yet important question. Will we see these two take the field against the West Indies? Well, it’s a 50-50 call, something the Indian management will spend hours to decide. It is a massive call to make. Should they be included, it would seem as though an unsettled batting lineup would be taking the field against a quality opposition with two players with little or no match practice. However, the other side of the coin exhibits a stern reality to the current situation, a decision highlighting the dangers of having four under-performing batsmen in the labyrinth of the top five batting slots.

Having said that, it will be interesting to see which way the Indian management goes as the two sides lock horns on Thursday. One thing, however, is guaranteed. Dhawan, Raina and Rohit are almost at the end of the rope the selectors have given them in the context of the tournament. And should the push come to shove, we may well see the likes of Rahane and Pandey drafted into the side, if in this tournament, then certainly in the near future.

Another tribute to Virat Kohli – Amul’s tribute to special Virat Kohli performance