We need to rethink our batting order

Source: Hindustan Times     Date: November 2004

It was not a good day at the office for us at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. It happens in one day cricket and this has kept the series alive as there is a lot of cricket still to be played. It was Rahul’s turn to lose the toss this time as he had won the first two and the Aussies had no hesitation in batting first. 

I was surprised to see the amount of turn and bounce that the spinners got straight away. The wicket was double-paced and not an easy one to play shots but we did not bowl well enough. There were too many boundary balls and most of them were short. 

The Aussies are very good players of the short ball and the pace of the wicket made it easier for them to score runs. Both Bhajju and Anil had an off day, which happens. 

I feel Bhajju is an attacking bowler and he should always bowl an attacking line, especially to the left handers. He brought us back into the game last time against England from a difficult position by picking five wickets and this wicket had enough for him to do it again. 

Ajit Agarkar was outstanding on this surface. He bowled cleverly, varying his pace and a perfect length on this wicket. He and Nathan Bracken were perfect examples of the fact that proper length and line is the only solution in one-day cricket and it proves that you don’t need to do anything special but be disciplined to be successful. 

A total of 286 was always a stiff target on this wicket and it needed something special from someone to see us through. The partnership of Sachin and Rahul did give us hope but with their departure the hopes of India faded away. 

Kaif and Yuvraj have seen us through in similar circumstances in the past but they needed some time to settle down and get going on this wicket.We might have to rethink our batting order once again. The selectors and Rahul want a genuine keeper in the side, which is understandable, but Parthiv is a little inexperienced to bat at No. 8. We can push Parthiv up the order and allow him to play freely, especially when he can hit the seamers and be more effective when the ball is hard. 

We can have Sehwag, Kaif or Yuvraj down the order to do that job as batting at No. 7 is not that easy, especially when we are chasing. It was a good game for Australia’s Michael Clarke who picked four wickets at a crucial time, but the bowler who impressed me was Brad Williams. He looks a good sign and someone who would run in and bowl his heart out all day.

There is a lot of cricket left in the series. This will be a good wake-up call for us and let’s remember we came back and won the Test series against Australia in 2001 after losing the first one in Mumbai. We always play well when we are behind.