Following India’s underwhelming batting performance in the second ODI against West Indies in Ahmedabad, Wasim Jaffer, the former India opener, came up with a tweet. However, this time it was not one of his witty, humorous tweets; Jaffer was serious when he pointed out the biggest problem India have had for a long while in ODI cricket: lack of big runs from the middle-order when the top three fails.
Once again, the Men In Blue succumbed to that same issue on Wednesday that had hurt them in the 2019 World Cup semi-final versus New Zealand when an untested middle-order was put up to a difficult task after the top three got out cheaply.
India managed to put 237/9 in their quota of 50 overs after they had been reduced to 43/3 owing to some inspired fast bowling from the West Indies after they had been found wanting in the first ODI against Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan.
Suryakumar Yadav scored 64, while KL Rahul, shifted to number 4, got run out for 49. Cameos from Washington Sundar and Deepak Hooda dragged the score to what seemed below-par at halfway stage.
Wasim Jaffer reflected upon this, suggesting that the Dravid-Sharma management needs to find the answer to this situation when the top three fails, how would the middle-order then take the team to a total in excess of 280? – the biggest task facing the new management.
“How can we make 280+ when top 3 have an off day? This is the first piece of our WC puzzle,” Jaffer tweeted.
How can we make 280+ when top 3 have an off day? This is the first piece of our WC puzzle. #INDvsWI
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) February 9, 2022
Against West Indies in the second ODI, India sprung up a surprise by promoting Rishabh Pant to the opening role, despite KL Rahul back in the eleven after missing the first ODI replacing Ishan Kishan who opened in the last game. That move, however, failed as Pant didn’t look fluent in his 34-ball stay for 18 runs.
Rohit Sharma, the half-centurion of the previous game, couldn’t go past 5 today. Virat Kohli had looked solid for his 18 runs, but edged an outside off delivery while looking to drive Odean Smith.
Suryakumar and Rahul then rebuilt the innings with a 91-run stand, before Rahul, who was upping his gears got run out. Yadav followed after scoring 64. Sundar and Hooda perished trying to look for the boundary as India managed to reach 237.
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