Virat Kohli could be protected and sent at No.4 if situation arises: Sunil Gavaskar

Ever since India head coach Ravi Shastri insisted that Virat Kohli could play at number four in the forthcoming ICC World Cup, the debate over whether the move will be right or wrong has refused to die down. The number four spot is seen as the weak link in the otherwise strong batting lineup of India. With Ambati Rayudu not performing consistently, it looks like the team-management is not ready to pin its hopes on him. Perhaps that made Shastri admit that Kohli could be demoted if the situation demands.

Unsurprisingly, Shastri’s comments caused a stir in the Indian cricketing circles. Kohli is not only the batting mainstay of the team but has also batted at number three for the most part of his career. And many including some former players feel that shifting his position in such a big competition is not the wisest of ideas.

“The good thing about this Indian top-three is we can separate them if conditions and situations demand. Someone like Virat Kohli can go to number four, and we can put a good number three to bring more balance to the batting line-up. That’s flexibility for you, and for big tournaments like the World Cup, you have to be flexible to see what’s the best balance for the side. So we will decide that (accordingly in England).

“Maybe Rayudu, or someone else, could bat at number three, and Kohli comes in at number four. We wouldn’t want to disturb the opening combination. Separating the top-three could make the batting stronger,” Shastri had told Cricbuzz.

Not very long ago, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly had expressed his disagreement over Shastri’s comment. Well, the latest high-profile name to weigh in on the debate is another former India skipper – Sunil Gavaskar. The legendary batsman feels that India’s formidable top-three should not be separated. At the same time, he is also of the opinion that Kohli can be protected and sent to bat at No.4 if a situation arises.

“The best batsman in the world needs no protection in the batting order. But sometimes you have to assess the conditions. There could be a lot of swing and movement in the air in England… and if the opposition makes over 350 and India lose the first wicket early, then Kohli could be protected and sent at No.4.

“This is the very reason why it is really important for India to select its third opener who is technically sound. Because the ball swings and seams around in England. But if the conditions are not very different then Kohli should bat at No.3,” Gavaskar told India Today.

Kohli’s numbers

The best-ranked ODI player in the world at the moment, Kohli enjoys a stellar record in the 50-over format. So far, he has scored 10533 runs at an average of 59.50 which includes 39 centuries. Of those 39, 32 came while batting at No.3 which is definitely his preferred position.

Kohli’s record at number four is equally impressive. He has scored 1744 runs at the position at an average of 58.13 which includes seven centuries. But he last batted at this position in 2015 and taking the gamble in England could pretty much backfire.

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