Ravi Shastri mulls batting Virat Kohli at No. 4 in World Cup

[Zero_Unit]

Sometimes I feel like I can do a better job coming up with plans in the dressing room. Did he drink some wisky before making this statement?

[Suhaan]

Kohli should reward Shastri's fat laden cheek with a tight slap if bevda suggests something like this

Bevda is probably not able to digest the recent sucess we have had ,so is trying to derail the rythem of our best batsman

The current order is ok,we have to swallow the pain called dhoni up untill wc thats it,and rayudu too

[Austin 3:!6]

I think it's a good move and something I have advocated for a long time. People here saying that it will be a negative approach etc. need to understand it's for team benefit. Do you want another CT final like situation with top 3 back in pavillion within 10 overs? With Kohli coming at 4, there is extra cushion. Ofcourse this should only be the case when we are chasing big totals. Kohli always bats at 3 when we are batting first.

 

But to have this approach (I.e Kohli at 4) meaning need to drop Rayudu and play with 3 openers (Shaw/Rahul). There is no point with Kohli batting at 4 with Rayudu and Dhoni to come...that don't serve purpose. It should be Dhawan-Rohit-Shaw-Kohli.

[figo6762]

Stauatory warning :Interview was given by sharabi Shastri. Listening to sharabi will have unnecessary consequences 

[WeStMiDz]

I have always been an advocate of Kohli at 4 in crunch games especially with a big chase to tackle and an early wicket down. Simply put the team cannot cope with a 20-2 scenario with Kohli and one of the openers out. The game is all but done at that point. 

 

Rayudu can certainly be used as the sacrificial lamb in such scenarios. 

[bowl_out]

Might as well walk out without playing the WC

[putrevus]

Nowhere he said they will make Kohli no4 . All he said depending on situations if ball is seaming around they will bat Kohliat no4  to protect him.I don't think it would be  a bad move.World cup finals ball is seaming around and they lose toss.It is best to protect your best player for first ten overs against that unplayable ball.

[kosingh]

Our openers are already slow starters but balanced by Kohli at number 3, who comes in and picks up the pace. With Rayudu at number 3, we will be lucky to have 100 by the 20th over. 

[gattaca]

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Edited February 6, 2019 by gattaca

[gattaca]

@putrevus 

 

So he has no confidence in kohli playing swing ? Is there any batsman more capable than kohli Indian odi setup to handle swing ?  

 

Yes, maybe Rayudu, or someone else, could bat at number three, and Kohli comes in at number four. We wouldn't want to disturb the opening combination. Separating the top-three could make the batting stronger.

[putrevus]

Just now, gattaca said:

@putrevus 

 

So he has no confidence in kohli playing swing ? Is there any batsman more capable than kohli Indian odi setup to handle swing ?  

 

Yes, maybe Rayudu, or someone else, could bat at number three, and Kohli comes in at number four. We wouldn't want to disturb the opening combination. Separating the top-three could make the batting stronger.

World cup finals or knockout matches is not the place to test egos. It is all about getting the best out of the situation. White ball will stop swinging after 10 overs.If they want to protect Kohli against that unplayable ball in first ten overs then what is wrong with it.

 

It has got nothing to do with confidence in Kohli.

[mishra]

Materstroke. We must fix something thats not broken

[mishra]

Now we know whom to blame, in case we see Kohli fail. Its not his fault.

[gattaca]

1 hour ago, putrevus said:

World cup finals or knockout matches is not the place to test egos. It is all about getting the best out of the situation. White ball will stop swinging after 10 overs.If they want to protect Kohli against that unplayable ball in first ten overs then what is wrong with it.

 

It has got nothing to do with confidence in Kohli.

So rayudu or dhoni are better adapt at swing. Now if we loose them it will be still 3 down and kohli to come to bat. I don’t understand this logic at all. I don’t think anyone in this line up is better player of swing than kohli. If they are sending someone else to bat we will be in more bad situation. 

[R!TTER]

Just now, Austin 3:!6 said:

I think it's a good move and something I have advocated for a long time. People here saying that it will be a negative approach etc. need to understand it's for team benefit. Do you want another CT final like situation with top 3 back in pavillion within 10 overs? With Kohli coming at 4, there is extra cushion. Ofcourse this should only be the case when we are chasing big totals. Kohli always bats at 3 when we are batting first.

 

But to have this approach (I.e Kohli at 4) meaning need to drop Rayudu and play with 3 openers (Shaw/Rahul). There is no point with Kohli batting at 4 with Rayudu and Dhoni to come...that don't serve purpose. It should be Dhawan-Rohit-Shaw-Kohli.

Why just CT final, remember 2015 WC semi final when all 3 went in quick succession or the first ODI vs Aus last month? Kohli isn't that great against movement, that's a fact so we need someone who can counter the new ball swing or movement. If we can keep at least one of the top 3 till the end overs, we will win more matches than we lose.

Edited February 6, 2019 by R!TTER

[mishra]

So if its about swing only, why not  prepare a pinch hitter. That way Kohli still plays at 3. Shashtriji, just check how every team in ast used pinch hitters very effectively.

[putrevus]

21 minutes ago, gattaca said:

So rayudu or dhoni are better adapt at swing. Now if we loose them it will be still 3 down and kohli to come to bat. I don’t understand this logic at all. I don’t think anyone in this line up is better player of swing than kohli. If they are sending someone else to bat we will be in more bad situation. 

They are not but it is the same theory of night watchman. They are not sent in ahead of main batsmen because they are better but it is just to protect the main batsmen.

[Pollack]

Not surprising really. Pant will succeed more in tests than in LOI. That is not to say he won't succeed in LOIs. In any case Pant the test batsman will be much better. It's all about shot selection. 

[bowl_out]

4 hours ago, mishra said:

Materstroke. We must fix something thats not broken

That's Dravid's style

[Cricketics]

Ravi Sharabi bhai mixing Test Cricket and ODI. Someone tell him he already bats at 4 in tests.