It was only last winter that Ishan Kishan had to sit out an entire series, immediately after his blazing double hundred in Bangladesh. He made way for the highly-rated Shubman Gill, who racked up an ODI double hundred of his own in a month’s time.
Kishan batted at No 4 in that match. He told captain Rohit Sharma jokingly that he ‘didn’t mind batting at No 4’, with Gill looking on, in a chat for BCCI.tv. The two of them welcomed Gill to the double hundred club. Kishan was listed to bat at 4 in the Barbados ODI on Thursday and it could well be that’s where a slot may open up for the southpaw in the upcoming World Cup.
So inept were the West Indies batters that spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja spun a web around them to bundle them out for 114. That he should not miss out, Kishan was promoted to open.
Gill may soon take his opening slot back, but when needed, the young duo can easily reverse roles. With his left-handedness, wicket-keeping and batting adaptability, Kishan may already have one foot in the World Cup selection door.
MAKING IT COUNT
The 25-year-old made an impression again on Thursday by first holding his own against the new ball, before launching into drives and pulls. Kishan successfully counter-attacked against West Indies spin on a square turner, with wickets falling in a heap around him. His 52 will count as another tick in the coaches’ notes, for India may have set such a template to win a few of the World Cup games. They play Australia in Chennai and England in Lucknow where red-soil wickets are being relaid.
{{/usCountry}}The 25-year-old made an impression again on Thursday by first holding his own against the new ball, before launching into drives and pulls. Kishan successfully counter-attacked against West Indies spin on a square turner, with wickets falling in a heap around him. His 52 will count as another tick in the coaches’ notes, for India may have set such a template to win a few of the World Cup games. They play Australia in Chennai and England in Lucknow where red-soil wickets are being relaid.
{{/usCountry}}India certainly has the spin attack to lead the way on turners. But their batting as the Barbados ODI showed, can sometimes be brittle against spin.
There is no Rishabh Pant, but Kishan’s fast learning the ropes. He’s begun to play the straight lofted heave with abandon, taking one handle off the bat, in a style reminiscent of Pant. He did that in the Test series against West Indies and repeated it in the Barbados ODI.
To counter punch as a collective in the middle-overs, a healthy mix of right and left-handers has become imperative. Kishan is the only one India has other than Jadeja to break the pattern in their batting order. It would also help to have a 360-degree batting resource. Suryakumar Yadav fits the bill, but he needs some runs to create a space amid a clamour for spots as the selectors and the team management push for the perfect team combination.
The middle-overs batter-wicket-keeper berth’s original claimant is KL Rahul. But his return is contingent on a complete recovery after thigh surgery. The one other serious option India has is Sanju Samson. When on song, watching him go feels like a million dollars. But with the dynamic Kerala batter not starting in the West Indies series, he may only have limited opportunities.
“We have a lot of options in batting. Someone’s an opener, someone in the middle-order, someone’s a right-hander or bats well against the death or against the new ball,” captain Sharma gave an explainer in his pre-series talk. “We have to look at what we want. Which are the holes we need to fill in the team. We give players’ roles, then analyse.”
So far, Kishan has aced every role he has been given across formats, this year. In 2022, he earned a million-dollar IPL deal. If he stays the course, 2023 may bring him the honour of playing his first-ever World Cup.