The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : It makes sense for the Indian skipper to bat higher up the order

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It makes sense for the Indian skipper to bat higher up the order

Dismissing Gayle is half the battle won, writes Sunil Gavaskar

— Photo: AP

PRIME TARGET: India’s cause would be well served if the influential and dangerous Chris Gayle is not allowed to prosper in the middle.

The West Indies win in the second one-dayer has put the interest back in a series which was getting overshadowed by other sporting events around the world.

It was a massive win and that would have boosted the Windies’ morale for they had run India close in the first one-dayer and given them a bit of a scare chasing a big total.

India’s top order continues to give concern as the batsmen are struggling to deal with the short ball.

Short-pitch blues

Rohit Sharma is looking out of place as he is getting stuck on the front foot, is unable to transfer his weight on the back foot and finds himself popping catches.

That India’s two most promising players are having problems with the short ball is perhaps an indictment of the kind of pitches on offer at the domestic level.

Both are hugely talented and have shown that they have the temperament too.

So it should be a matter of practice, practice and more practice to get over what hopefully is a short-term problem.

However that means that a change in the batting order is necessary to ensure that the kind of collapse that happened in the second game does not happen again.

The players also need to be reminded that this is a fifty overs game so there is a bit of space to get set and have a feel of the wicket before launching into the big shots.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni showed how by building a terrific innings brick by brick and his partnership with R.P. Singh saved India the embarrassment of being dismissed for less than a 100.

He himself missed out on what would have been a great century but at least he gave the total respectability.

If others follow his example and play themselves in, then India could have a good total on board.

The skipper’s form means that there is a good case for him to bat up the order as he was doing in the first few games of the Twenty20 World Cup.

Slot for Badrinath?

With Rohit Sharma struggling, it makes sense for the captain to look at coming up or have Badrinath in.

Badrinath too is a player who can adjust himself according to the needs of the game. But this team believes in giving a long rope to those who have proved themselves and Sharma certainly has done so in the past.

The bowling also is a worry as Gayle and Morton toyed with it. The wicket had no devils but still the manner in which the bowlers were taken apart is a cause for concern.

Gayle is a difficult batsman to bowl to at the best of times and his wicket is what the Indians must look to get.

Maybe they should have a look at how Chaminda Vaas was getting him out and if R.P. Singh can do that, then half the battle would be won. The West Indies are on an upswing and so it won’t be easy.

Dhoni has an enviable record as skipper and he must lead from the front again to enhance that.

Professional Management Group

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