How can India get more from its lower order and tailenders?

[G_B_]

The biggest difference between India and Aus is lower order contribution. Even on the tour of India the aussie bottom 5 contributed a lot to make their innings respectable.

 

One of the reasons India are still prone to being shot out for 36 is that we have only 3-4 players contributing with the bat around whom other players string scores.  Pujara though he does not score many plays an important role of blocking out the new ball and allowing the middle order to build a decent score.

 

While there cannot be a major change in personnel at this time. There needs to be a better strategy for our tail enders. The management needs to make them better via practise against the short ball. There also needs to be clearly defined roles about who can block and who should smash it. That strategy seems to be missing. With a better strategy it might just add around 30 more runs.

 

What I propose is this.

 

Ravichandran Ashwin was struggling to accelerate when Jadeja fell. But Ashwin had a solid defence. Considering the form of Jadeja we should not be moved. But I propose this.

 

Opener 1

Gill

Pujara

Rahane

Vihari

Jadeja

Ashwin

Pant

Pacers.

 

This means we get the ability of Ashwin to stick around and face balls and be defensive with a batsman at the other end. In addition we get Pant to smash it with the tail. Thus the lower order has a clear role in presence of Pant to stick around.

 

If the choice is between Saini and Natrajan the team management must use batting prowess as one of the guidelines for selection.

 

 

 

 

[Gollum]

Aus bottom 4 added 40 in 1st innings, 49 in 2nd innings.

 

Indian bottom 4 added 23 in the only innings it played. 

 

I don't think these 20-25 runs matter all that much. Translates to each of the top 7 scoring 3-4 runs more. If they can't make up for this little deficit why are they even in the team?

 

As long as bowlers do their primary jobs (as well as or better than Lloyd's GOAT WI) I am cool. When they are batting hope they don't get badly injured like Shami. We are running out of players at this point. 

 

During Dhoni era our bottom 4 contributed much more even overseas like NZ 2014, Eng 2014. Aus 2014-15, ghanta farak pada. 

 

We are reading too much into this. Wait for home series against Eng, our bottom 4 will outscore their MO in a couple of innings, home advantage too is a factor.

Edited December 29, 2020 by Gollum

[Trichromatic]

51 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Aus bottom 4 added 40 in 1st innings, 49 in 2nd innings.

 

Indian bottom 4 added 23 in the only innings it played. 

 

I don't think these 20-25 runs matter all that much. Translates to each of the top 7 scoring 3-4 runs more. If they can't make up for this little deficit why are they even in the team?

 

As long as bowlers do their primary jobs (as well as or better than Lloyd's GOAT WI) I am cool. When they are batting hope they don't get badly injured like Shami. We are running out of players at this point. 

 

During Dhoni era our bottom 4 contributed much more even overseas like NZ 2014, Eng 2014. Aus 2014-15, ghanta farak pada. 

 

We are reading too much into this. Wait for home series against Eng, our bottom 4 will outscore their MO in a couple of innings, home advantage too is a factor.

 

Yeah lower order scores big at home games. 

 

We have seen Ashwin, Jadeja and Jayant scoring centuries in lower order at home. 

[aditya19]

jadeja batting form has solved the lower order woes..we are not the best in terms of lower order batting but we will be good if our 7+8(that is ash + jadeja) contributes about 50 per innings consistently

[putrevus]

I don't care if our fast bowlers don't score one run as long as  they can avg in low 20s as bowlers. Once they get confidence they score odd runs here and there.Test cricket is always for specialists. Playing bowlers who can score 20 runs with bat but give away 100 with ball is useless.