Can India find a solution from IPL 2019 for the No 4 question?

Kolkata, April 2: Over the last year, several Indian cricketers have come up with sterling efforts in ODI cricket. However, finding a suitable candidate for the No 4 slot remains a tough job for the management even as the ICC World Cup 2019 getting nearer.

But the crux of the matter is that many of those strong batting efforts have come from skipper Virat Kohli, openers Rohit Sharma and partner Shikhar Dhawan. Apart from the top three, the rest of the batsmen haven't looked as strong and too much of changes have not helped either.

Ambati Rayudu was being pushed as India's solution to the 'No.4 problem' but his ordinary outings in the home series against Australia haven't made it look a long-term solution.

Almost all teams that have won the world title so far had powerful batting sides - be it the West Indies, India, Australia, Pakistan or Sri Lanka. This year, too, batting will be key because in England the ball does a bit. A solid No 3 and No 4 are key in those conditions to give stability to the batting unit.

However, India at the moment have only Kohli who can handle the pressures of No 3 or No 4. But pushing Kohli down to No 4 will open a gap at No 3 and it could give some serious problems if the top three have a collective off day, adding more burden on Kohli.

India's No 4 in 1983 & 2011

When Kapil Dev's team lifted the Cup in 1983, India did not have a fixed No 4 and the position was manned by the likes of Yashpal Sharma, Sandeep Patil and Dilip Vangsarkar. In the 2011 edition, too, either Virat Kohli or Yuvraj Singh was the player to bat at No 4 while Yusuf Pathan also chipped in on occasions. But Dhoni came out at No 4 in the final against Lanka.

The idea of having floaters in the team is valid even now but the problem lies in the fact that India had players like Sunil Gavaskar (in 1983) and Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag (in 2011) up front and those like Kapil Dev (in 1983) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (in 2011) down the order giving the middle-order the security to play freely. In 2019, the strategy look far too dependent on the top two and Kohli but India need to find a settled No 4 option soon.