Open, not shut: Balancing three openers

At the post-match presentation at the end of the Sri Lanka series, when Sanjay Manjrekar asked Virat Kohli about three openers in the side and how India will deal with it, the Indian captain managed to deftly leave the delivery outside the off stump. While it is a pleasant headache, it is certainly not an easy one to deal with. Dhawan roared back into form in the third and final T-20 and Rohit is undisputedly the best white ball opener in the world at the moment. That leaves KL Rahul, who is not only the highest-ranked Indian in the T-20 format, but is also in the form of his life. Rahul has batted like a man possessed in the last few games and it would certainly be unfair to leave him out in favour of the two experienced men Dhawan and Rohit.

If we go deeper it is evident that the choice is actually between Rahul and Dhawan. Rohit is not simply the vice-captain but is also the best ODI 50-over batsman in the world on current form alongside Virat Kohli. Moreover, his record against Australia is like no other and he simply walks into any ODI side in the world. That leaves Dhawan and Rahul to fight it out for the second spot in what will always be an unfair battle. While the team management will find it near impossible to leave KL Rahul out given the form he is in, it will also be unfair on Dhawan just as he is looking to find his groove. That’s where I wish to question the selection and the prudence behind picking the three for the three match 50-over series against Australia.

Firstly, it is known that 50-over cricket isn’t a priority at the moment. There isn’t a World Cup scheduled in the next two years and India can afford to experiment in the 50-over format. In this context, one is left to ponder why the selectors decided to get Rohit back into the side against Australia. While winning is indeed a priority and Rohit’s inclusion is always welcome, it might well have the ripple effect of once again putting the team management in a spot. Had Rohit been given a break and brought back for the series against New Zealand, the Dhawan-Rahul combination could have easily played out this series and given the team management a better sense of who is in better sync going into New Zealand. Also, there isn’t anything left for Rohit to prove that he needs to be brought back in a hurry. For the longest time, the selectors did something similar with Rohit and Rahane in Test cricket. One of the two had to be left out and there is little doubt it wasn’t healthy for either or the team management. For Rahane to sit out as Test vice-captain in South Africa in January 2018 was a real slight, and it was not something that went down well with him. For Rohit, too, it meant he was under the scanner every game, which is unfair on any cricketer. That’s when Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli found the solution to this problem by getting Rohit to open. With multiple hundreds under his belt in his limited stint as Test opener, Rohit has helped solve this issue once and for all. Just like Sourav Ganguly had done with Virender Sehwag, Kohli and Shahstri have made sure India get to play both Rahane and Rohit in Test cricket by elevating Rohit as opener.

That’s what the team management needs to do yet again. In all fairness, they shouldn’t have to leave out one between Dhawan and Rahul. So will they take the punt and get Dhawan to bat at number three against Australia with the skipper coming in at number 4? Shreyas can go down a notch to no. 5 and with Rishabh and Jadeja at no. 6 and no. 7, respectively, the batting, too, looks to have more meat if this is done. Rahul is more suited to take advantage of the power play given his strike rate and it will be best if he is left undisturbed at the top. Dhawan is a fantastic player of spin and against the leg spinner, it is always an option to field the left-handed champion to disturb Zampa’s rhythm. In doing so, the management will be able to solve the three opener riddle and make sure no one is left to feel bad or discriminated against.

While everyone will say on the face of it that the team is united and it is perfectly fine to sit out in team interest, it is fair that as serious sportsmen who take pride in their performance, they feel bad when left out despite scoring in almost every game. To say that either Rahul or Dhawan will not find it discriminatory to sit out is being plain stupid and that’s what brings the role of the team management into focus. And, for once, it is not time for a harsh call. For the sake of Indian cricket and team’s harmony, Kohli and Shastri need to be diplomatic just like Kohli was when asked at the post-match presentation and deal with the situation with grace and reason.