A file photo of Stuart Binny on his Test debut vs England.
© AFP
India's batting form or the lack of it has been the talking point in the lead up to the World Cup. India has failed to win a single game in the recently-concluded tri-series and their batting has come under scrutiny.(World Cup 2015: Full Coverage)
India's biggest problem is the opening slot. With Rohit Sharma recuperating from injury, India are left with an out-of-form Shikhar Dhawan and a makeshift option in Ajinkya Rahane. In an exclusive chat with NDTV, Ian Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar and VVS Laxman had some out-of-the-box solutions for skipper MS Dhoni.(Gavaskar Expects 2015 World Cup to be Competitive)
Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell suggested that the India all-rounder Stuart Binny should be the man to face-up to the new ball.('Pakistan Without Ajmal is Like Ice-Cream Without Chocolate')
"There is another way to get (Stuart) Binny into the side I think...get him in as a batsman. Now, Shikhar Dhawan has been struggling at the top of the order. So what I saw of him (Binny) technically, he looks pretty efficient. So you could perhaps think about opening the batting with him, if Dhawan is not making runs and then you've got him as the extra bowler," said the Australian veteran.
Sunil Gavaskar, too, had an interesting option in Ravichandran Ashwin.(Dhoni Should Give Shami the New Ball)
"Ashwin is technically well-organised, he can open the batting. It also gives you the opportunity to play five regular bowlers if he bats up in the order."
Gavaskar then added that the combination of Team India would hinge on Rohit Sharma's fitness.
"It all depends on how Rohit Sharma gets fit. If he gets fit and what then is going to happen is that you're going to have Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit and Ajinkya Rahane at 1-2-3 depending on, if they get off to a good start then Virat Kohli will obviously come in at 3."
VVS Laxman, however, didn't want India to gamble with the batting order in such a big tournament. As per the stylish Hyderabadi, India should stick with the trusted pair of Rohit and Dhawan.
"For such a big tournament I think we should go with a settled batting line up. I feel Shikhar is out of form, there's no doubt about it but the way he applied himself in Perth you know, shows that he's hungry to score runs and one good innings can change... and we know how dangerous a batsman Shikhar Dhawan is. So I would go with Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma," Laxman said.
There might have been varied opinion about the opening slot but all three experts agreed that India lacked experience going into the World Cup. While Chappell expressed his concerns about India chasing big totals, Gavaskar felt that the absence of the big ticket players have made the Indian batting a bit circumspect.
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