Top-order in focus for India ahead of first ODI

MIRPUR: A consistent Shikhar Dhawan and a supremely talented KL Rahul will battle it out for the opener’s slot even as a top-heavy Indian batting line-up will aim for transformation and show more intent against a gutsy Bangladesh in the three-match ODI series, starting Sunday.

Throw a fabulously consistent young turk Shubman Gill (rested for this series) into the mix, and coach Rahul Dravid will struggle to fit in all the boxes of this jigsaw puzzle called Indian top-order.

The focus for the next one year will primarily be on ODIs and just like the T20Is, India’s approach in the 50-over format needs a sea change.

Currently, the Indian white ball squad is now going through that particular phase.

A few years ago, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were automatic picks as India’s preferred ODI opening pair with hardly any questions asked or their spots being debated.

But Dhawan’s slow approach in the Powerplay overs and the emergence of Gill as a potent 50-over opener is bound to throw up possibilities.

In the 19 ODI innings that Dhawan has opened for India in 2022, he had a poor strike-rate of 75.11. While between 2016-18, it used to be 101 and between 2019-21, it dipped but was still a steady 91.

Rahul, who has five hundred and 10 fifties in 45 ODIs with a healthy strike-rate of 85 plus and an impressive average of 45, looks a better candidate.

For the opening match though, in case the team management wants to give rest to a jet-lagged Dhawan, who has flown all the way from Down Under to join the team in Mirpur, Rahul will certainly join Rohit at the top.

While Virat Kohli at No. 3 is an automatic choice, Shreyas Iyer as India’s No. 4 is slowly settling down. Rishabh Pant after his heroics in the ODI series in England remains ahead of Ishan Kishan to start as No. 5 in the line-up.

Pant has copped a lot of flak for some of his cheap dismissals in T20s but despite some underwhelming shows in the recently concluded series, he remains the first-choice keeper in 50-over format.

Kishan, who prefers opening in T20 has got all his three half-centuries in ODIs batting at either No. 3 or 4. It is believed that Kishan isn’t being looked at as a finisher and hence if he is played, he has to be fitted somewhere in top four.

But this whole equation could be turned upside down if Rahul decides to keep wickets, something which he has done sporadically in the past.

With no Sanju Samson in this particular series, Rajat Patidar and Rahul Tripathi, two consistent domestic cricket and IPL performers will fancy a chance or two to stay in the mix.