ICC World Cup 2019 | I would like MS Dhoni to bat at number four, says Andy Bichel
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Andy Bichel has stated that he would like veteran MS Dhoni to bat at number four for India at the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales, starting May 30. The number four position has been a highly debated topic and it is very likely that Vijay Shankar will be the starter at that position.
The Indian team has tried out various options for the number four batting position in the last few years. Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Kedar Jadhav, and MS Dhoni himself have been among the options but it is most likely that all-rounder Vijay Shankar will play at that position, at least in the beginning. The other contenders within the 15-man squad are Rahul, Jadhav and Dhoni but Andy Bichel feels that the former skipper will be the right choice for it.
"We have seen Dhoni bat (at number four). He is still brilliant. He can bat from number one to six (in the batting order). Maybe it is his last hurrah so maybe he wants to go at number four. Vijay Shankar has grown into a wonderful talent in the past few years. Look, there are lots of options and it is a good problem to have. But I would like to see MS go at four and take the game away from the opposition. He has done it so many times," said Bichel, reported Firstpost.
However, former South Africa skipper Kepler Wessels has sprung in a surprise by naming the captain Virat Kohli for the position, something that even India coach Ravi Shastri hinted at, a few months back.
"He (Kohli) can get off to a good start. He can accelerate the tempo when he needs to. If there is any little bit of movement early, you don't want to expose him too early either. So, I think the number is best for him,” Wessels explained.
The World Cup will be a long tournament this time as each of the ten teams will play every other team, that is nine matches, before the semi-finals. There are no minnows this time which means that the teams cannot get complacent at any point. Furthermore, the Indian players will come on the back of a lot of T20 cricket and have their task cut out as they will start their campaign with matches against South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan. The 2011 World Cup champions cannot afford any slip-ups with respect to their decisions, as pointed out by the 2003 World Cup-winning pacer Bichel.
"It is a long tournament. There is no doubt that the three quicks are there. India also have spin options at their helm. That makes them dangerous. (Jasprit) Bumrah, (Mohammed) Shami and Bhuvneshwar (Kumar)are going to explore those conditions at some stage. They are a world-class team that can win. They have Virat Kohli who leads in the Ricky Ponting style of captaincy and there is calmness of MS Dhoni as well. But they still have to make the right choices throughout the tournament. Ravi Shastri has seen these boys grow in front of him and he will have to take those decisions,” signed off the 48-year-old.
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