Hyderabad: There is one question that is haunting Team India for the last 4 years -'The No.4 Problem'. In his entire tenure, MSK Prasad failed to give India its permanent and reliable number 4. Ever since Men in Blue's triumph in England at the 2013 Champions Trophy the side has not won a single ICC trophy and one of the vital reason behind it is a middle muddle.
India went into the 2019 World Cup with an inexperienced middle order and Vijay Shankar as the middle-order batsman who was new to the international cricket. There were talks that India skipper Virat Kohli might demote himself at number 4. And now Coach Ravi Shastri has expressed that even he thought of demoting Virat to number 4.
"We lacked stability there (No. 4 at World Cup). That's why it crossed my mind many times to ask Virat to bat at 4. We were top-heavy. Just to split the top-heaviness and making someone else bat at 3. This did cross my mind. Many times because I knew in the big game that could be the most important position. So we have learnt from that," Ravi Shastri said.
India were knocked out of the World Cup in the semi-final against New Zealand. In that game, Rishabh Pant batted at number 4 position and India's top run-getter Rohit Sharma, along with his opening partner KL Rahul and skipper Virat failed to make an impact in the match, which put the Men in Blue in a pressure situation.
Pant who is looked at as a successor of Dhoni does not have numbers to back his talent.
"You have got to cash in. Your work ethic should be solid. You have to have a solid approach to your batting. You can't think everything is going to happen the way I want it to happen from ball 1. No, it won't happen like that. This game teaches you. There's a method to the madness as well. So, he has to learn that method."
Sometimes playing domestic cricket is not a bad thing as it helps players to rediscover himself, said the coach.
"Sometimes, domestic cricket is good. There is less pressure in domestic cricket. He's lucky that he has age on his side."
Shastri hinted that Pant could be sent back to domestic cricket to iron out his flaws.
"If he disappears for 3 months or 6 months, just to work on his game, people should not think he has been treated (badly). Absolutely not. He will come back tougher and stronger if there is a need for that to happen."
For the last few series, Shreyas Iyer has played some brilliant knocks at the number 4 position in limited-overs cricket and if given the opportunities he can solve India's middle muddle.
"The way he is batting now if he doesn't own that position, I will be very very surprised. He is 24-25 years but he has played so much first-class cricket. I think he has realised what he can do at No. 4. That's the most important thing." Shastri concluded.
