“This concept of 'play your natural game', which I hear all the time, frustrates me because there's no such thing in my belief as 'natural game.’ It's only about how you play different situations.”
Rahul Dravid's wise words echo through your mind when you watch a procession of Indian batsmen making it back to the pavilion at Lord's. Losing by an innings and 159 runs would have been understandable if the team had put up a resistance of some kind. Instead, what we witnessed was a meek surrender of home-bred flat-track bullies who showed little to no temperament to accustom themselves to the conditions greeting them in the second Test against England.
India lasted a mere 494 balls across both innings at Lord's. More than sheer numbers, the manner in which the flawless batting facade built on sub-continental wickets degraded, screams for a fresh approach.
Virat Kohli as a skipper has been rather hesitant to meddle with his little batting assemblage despite being all for changing his playing eleven pretty often. After the debacle at Lord's, it is becoming more and more clear that India’s tried and tested batting line-up needs a new look. Some of the choices for replacements are debatable, even annoying to think about but there is compelling evidence to show what India have currently is just not working.
Dismantle the Openers’ Kitty Party
Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul have been India’s top three choices at the top of the order for a long time. The only three who have managed to break into this little kitty party are Gautam Gambhir and Abhinav Mukund – experienced batsmen returning to the Test side on emergency request following an injury to one of the three incumbents.
Does that mean India lack options in the domestic circuit at the top of the order? Geez, no!
Mayank Agarwal for Murali Vijay
Karnataka opener, Mayank Agarwal, has been making runs for fun in the Ranji Trophy and every other domestic competition out there. An attacking batsman with a positive mindset and reasonable technique, Mayank made a 1,000 runs in a month last year, a record-breaking feat that evoked the belief that an India call-up wasn't far off. The flow of runs continued but the selection never materialised.
Murali Vijay's monk-like aura is quickly fading after he grabbed a pair at Lord's. Once a sound judge of deliveries outside his off-stump, Vijay is struggling against just about everything. He averages a depressing 27.93 away from home since 2015 and has sorely missed giving the Indian middle-order a firm platform.
With bogged down approaches, India’s openers have just fed Anderson and Broad’s methodical approach. This is exactly what Mayank brings to the table and the massive run fest in domestic circuit backs his case.
Record in FC cricket: Matches-41, Runs-3,217, Average- 51.06, 100s- 8, HS - 304*
Prithvi Shaw for Shikhar Dhawan
In the last five times that India have toured one of these countries – South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia, Shikhar Dhawan has started at the top of the order in the first Test only to be dropped mid-way through the series. The trend suggests everything wrong with India's selection at the moment. There is unfathomable hesitancy in blooding fresh talent despite the monumental failures of the existing lot.
Prithvi Shaw, that golden boy from the city of dreams, has something about endearing about him. Flashy, flamboyant and elegant, Shaw has made truckloads of runs in no time, showcasing swagger and persona in his approach at the wicket. He has already displayed a strong temperament to back the big runs and in the recently concluded IPL proved that he can be equally menacing against world-class attacks. With his exploits for Mumbai and India A in mind, Shaw deserves a go sooner rather than later. It is a like-for-like swap given the approaches of Gabbar and Shaw, but somehow the Mumbaikar appears to be the more confident of the two right now.
Record in FC cricket: Matches - 13, Runs - 1,398, Average - 60.78, 100s - 7, HS - 188
Nail Down That Number 3 Spot
With Cheteshwar Pujara's lackadaisical running between the wickets and unsuccessful attempts to bat within his shell and rescue India becoming a familiar story, India sorely need a lease of fresh air in the all-important Number 3 spot. There are quite a few candidates vying for this in the domestic circuit.
Shreyas Iyer
All flair and class, India A skipper Shreyas Iyer has been among the runs but an elevation into the Test XI has eluded him. From knocking around Australia's bowlers for a double century in a warm-up game to authoritatively stamping down his place in the India A side and then leading them, Iyer has been quite a revelation.
His unmistakable vigour and energy at the wicket is something India lack big time at the moment. A player with a big match temperament, Iyer can be trusted to take to the role like fish to water. India need an intent-driven no.3 and none of them look as accomplished as Iyer.
Record in FC cricket: Matches - 47, Runs - 4,013, Average - 53.50, 100s - 11, HS - 202*
Hanuma Vihari
The unpopular choice, Hyderabad-born Hanuma Vihari has quietly gone about his business of scoring runs. He has the highest first-class average in world cricket, a whopping 59.45 which trumps the likes of Steven Smith and Virat Kohli. When switching from Hyderabad to Andhra Pradesh in domestic cricket, Vihari managed to amp up his batting and is currently among the most elite run-scorers in the country.
Making big hundreds and batting for long periods of time is Vihari’s forte. He has a double hundred in each one of his last five Ranji seasons. This includes a massive 302* against Odisha last year. Under Rahul Dravid with India A, Vihari has grown into a potential Number 3 and could be the missing piece in India's batting jigsaw.
Record in FC cricket: Matches - 62, Runs - 4,994, Average - 59.45, 100s - 14, HS - 302*
Shake Up the Lower Middle-Order
The lower middle-order has been a cause for concern ever since Ajinkya Rahane lost his Midas’ touch. The lack of runs from the middle-order has been a huge factor in India's batting demise and they need some positive energy there as well. Wriddhiman Saha would most likely walk back into the playing XI once he is fit but Karthik's lacklustre show so far screams for a new keeper and there is one available in the current squad.
Rishabh Pant for Dinesh Karthik
The popular choice to replace MS Dhoni, the flashy young wicket-keeper batsman, famous for his brash, counter-attacking approach, is restricted to the bench in the Indian Test side. Despite making runs for India A in the tour of England, Karthik was preferred over Pant in a typical Indian selection move.
Pant might be a tad different from the regular Test wicket-keeper bracket but he brings with him a nonchalance and charm that India miss at the moment. His fearlessness and aggression at the crease could just be the antidote to a rampaging Anderson or Broad.
Record in FC cricket: Matches - 23, Runs - 1,744, Average - 54.50, 100s - 4, HS - 308
Karun Nair for Ajinkya Rahane
When a batsman makes a triple hundred but struggles to find his place in the side two games later, it speaks of a rather strong squad. However, contrary to that, India’s middle-order has been struggling and somehow they have been reluctant to blood Karun in the middle-order.
Composed and calm in the middle, Karun has the potential to become an indispensable force in India's middle-order. He hasn't quite grabbed his chances aside from the resounding triple hundred but with opportunities few and far between, one cannot really blame him. The time is right to swap Rahane for Karun and the Nottingham Test next week should see that materialise.
Record in FC cricket: Matches - 61, Runs - 4,496, Average - 51.09, 100s - 13, HS - 328
For more news and updates from India's tour of England, click here.
(Rohit Sankar is a freelance cricket writer. He can be reached at @imRohit_SN)
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