The Indian middle order conundrum has been the talk of the nation since the 2019 World Cup.
India were beaten by New Zealand in the semi-finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup and the Men in Blue were plagued by the middle-order crisis, especially at No 4, during the entire tournament.
The problem persists even now and it has grown even more complex with injuries to KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant.
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Former India coach Ravi Shashtri even revealed that he thought using Virat Kohli in the No.4 slot to add more steel in the middle overs.
“If Virat has to bat at four, he will bat at four in the interest of the side. You know, there were times I thought of it,” Shastri said in a chat on Star Sports’ Selection Day show.
“Even in the previous two World Cups, when I was coach in 2019, I thought I might have discussed that with MSK as well of him batting at four just to break that top heavy line up. And if you look at Virat Kohli’s record, he is good enough at number four,” said Shastri.
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Tilak Varma has shown potential during the recently concluded trip to West Indies and he is being considered as an option if he continues to fire in the same vein until the World Cup. Former skipper Sourav Ganguly even backed him at No. 4.
"Who said we don't have a No. 4? We have so many (batsmen) who can bat at that spot. I see Tilak Varma as an option, being a left-hander. He (Tilak) is a very good young player, not with much experience, but it does not matter. I also want to see the young left-hander (Jaiswal) in the side at the top of the order. He has enormous ability and he's fearless. So, this is a great side," said Ganguly.
Is Pakistan's middle order better than India?
Pakistan's best batsman, Babar Azam, comes in at No. 3. He is matched toe-to-toe, and sometimes surpassed, by Virat Kohli.
Mohammad Rizwan comes in at No.4 and here lies India's biggest problem. If Rahul or Iyer gets fit then India's problem will lessen. However, if Varma is thrown into the mix, there will be questions because of his inexperience in playing on such a big stage.
Suryakumar Yadav's ODI form is despicable whereas, Ishan Kishan lacks consistency.
Pakistan do have a deep batting line-up as Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Tayyab Tahir, and even Shadab Khan have the potential to score runs on their day. They have stuck to a core group of players and are reaping the benefits.
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Whereas, India have been plagued by injuries which have not helped their cause. Rishabh Pant will miss the World Cup and that could prove to be India's achilles heel. KL Rahul had a forgetful IPL in 2023 and he has not been in competitive action since he pulled up during the domestic T20 tournament.
Rightly, former Pakistan keeper Rashid Latif has asked questions about India's middle order and has backed Pakistan to beat India.
"When you look at India or the other teams, they are struggling. India are struggling with their middle order. I believe Pakistan have a wonderful chance, and they should win the tournament by giving others a tough fight," he said.
However, Latif believes that if Rohit Sharma and Kohli get going, the Men in Blue will be difficult to stop.
"Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are capable of playing big knocks, and they play at a better strike rate than our top-order batters, which gives India an advantage," he added.
What is India and Pakistan's Asia Cup squad?
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve).
When is India - Pakistan game in Asia Cup?
India will face Pakistan in the 2023 Asia Cup on September 2 in what will be a blockbuster match-up.
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