Has coming in with no wicket down had a positive effect on Azhar Ali's batting?

[Moiza]

Or has his good form just come around as he was promoted to open the batting?

Over the last year and Azhar has played 18 innings as an opener and scored 1000+ runs at an avg of 76. Just before he was promoted Azhar was having a very bad time and since his promotion he has turned things around, having Sami on the other end has made things better for him since he doesnt have to worry about the impending collapse.

SDoes the fall of a wicket very soon into the innings and with the fear of only more wickets to fall have a big enough impact on Azhar that ever since he has rid himself of that useless worry he has turned things around to such an extent?

 

[Chief Destroyer]

It definitely has. Opening allows him to play his natural game which is to occupy the crease and bat long. #3 are dynamic batsmen with sound defence and equally good offensive game to counter. He doesn't have that game which quite often forced him into situations to play out of his comfort zone resulting in throwing his wicket away.

 

[Slog]

Well he was prety used to it


We were normally down one within first 5 overs

 

[ask_analyse_act]

he is an opener in domestics and he is showing why,,,

 

[MMHS]

Batting at 3 is more difficult, as the position demands multiple role play.

Gavaskar was more comfortable to open rather than come at 3, as he explained -

1. One can plan his innings, from ball 1, knows when to bat, against which bowler.
2. Often fast bowlers also need few overs time to settle. Statistically, Fast bowlers are probably fastest in their 3rd over of opening spell & most lethal around 3rd to 6th over. Which, actually allows openers to bail out some time before the bowlers starts to put every ball on business areas. If a No. 3 is coming in between 5th to 10th over, probably his job is tougher than a opener.
3. Most cases, openers face the fast bowlers, but middle orders can come to bat when spinners are on. On turners, that's actually as tough as opening on green tops.
4. On green tops, if your openers are beaten constantly, it's like a mental torture - you are on your toes to bat almost every ball
5. Openers job is more or less simple & universal - these days Warners are going after the ball, but more or less, openers are expected to see through the new ball; - that's same for No. 3, if he comes at 10/1; but he can't bat like Sami if he comes at 100/1.

AUS strategy is to bat their best player at 3, WI as well. While ENG historically has put best 3 players at 1, 2 & 4 - may be their wickets & condition often demanded extra efforts from openers, hence they protected their best middle order at 3. South Asian teams learned cricket from Brits, hence here we see top players to bat at 4 for IND/PAK; but SRL was managed mostly by Aussies, hence they played their best player at 3 often; Bangladesh as well mostly a follower of Aussie strategy, because of the technical people coming mostly from AUS, is bringing a culture of playing best middle-order batsman at 3 at FC level.

Azhar's game is more suited for opener, if not, I'll play him at 4; but never at 3.