Gambhir’s tactical shift: The left-handed middle-order and KL Rahul’s changing role
When KL Rahul strode to the middle after Shubman Gill’s dismissal in the third One-Day International against England in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, it seemed India had finally realised the obvious.
Before the contest, former cricketer Parthiv Patel did not hold back in criticising Rahul’s batting position. “Rahul is being wasted at number six,” he said on the official broadcast.
Rahul had batted at No. 6 only twice before this series, scoring 11 and 31. In his two innings against England, he managed just 12 runs, dragging his average at the position down to 18. However, his numbers significantly improve one spot higher. At No. 5, he averages 56—the highest across all positions—with two centuries and nine fifties at a strike rate of 96.
He batted in this role throughout the 2023 ODI World Cup, amassing 452 runs at an average of 75, including a century and two half-centuries. When he was finally moved back to No. 5 on Wednesday, it seemed the management had taken his record into account. However, head coach Gautam Gambhir was quick to dismiss such suggestions.
“We don’t look at averages and stats and all that stuff. We look at who can deliver more at that number,” he quipped at the post-match press conference.
The left-hand preference
In the six ODIs under Gambhir’s charge, a left-hander has featured in the top five on five occasions. Once, there were two—Shivam Dube and Axar Patel. This seemingly minor tweak has gained significance due to Gambhir’s preference for a left-right combination in the middle overs.
“That’s the way cricket is meant to be played. I know many people talk about it, but it’s not about the batting order, it’s about who can create what impact; and if you have the option of putting a quality left-handed batter in the middle, why won’t you do that? Why would you want to have the top five as right-handers?” he said.
This approach mirrors the T20 strategy of teams looking for favourable match-ups at different phases of an innings. A left-hander helps neutralise the threat of a leg-spinner or a left-arm orthodox bowler, a factor that holds true in ODIs as well.
Since 2020, among the 13 Indian batters who have faced over 100 deliveries of leg-spin or left-arm orthodox spin, the two least dismissed and with the lowest dot-ball percentage are left-handers—Rishabh Pant and Axar. Moreover, only five players in this group have a strike rate above 100, three of whom are left-handers—Pant, Axar, and Ishan Kishan.
Though early attempts at this strategy faltered— Dube and Pant failed when promoted against Sri Lanka last July—Axar’s run-a-ball 44 in the third match seemed to have justified Gambhir’s persistence. Six months later, the idea returned against England.
“Axar has done fabulously well; in both the games he got the opportunity, he delivered for us. I know there will always be a talk, there will always be people talking about it, but I think that’s the way we want to go in the future as well.
“If Axar is batting at five, it only lengthens the batting with KL [Rahul] at six, Hardik [Pandya] at seven, and [Ravindra] Jadeja at eight. You can bat till eight which is always a luxury plus you have six bowling options, six quality bowling options,” Gambhir said.
The Rahul dilemma
Axar has repaid the faith shown in him, but the No. 6 role remains unresolved. Gambhir confirmed Rahul as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for the Champions Trophy over Pant, ruling out the possibility of fielding both.
“Ultimately, it’s very difficult to talk about individuals, but all I can say is that if Pant is a part of the squad, he will get an opportunity. But at the moment obviously, KL is our number one wicketkeeper, and he’s delivered for us. When you have two wicketkeepers in the squad, you can’t play both with the kind of quality we’ve got. Hopefully, whenever he [Pant] gets an opportunity, he should be ready for it,” Gambhir said.
This suggests Rahul’s return to No. 5 was merely a move to give him some time out in the middle ahead of the ICC event. Like in Tests, he must now adapt to a new role.
Rahul himself has grown accustomed to shifting positions. “I just want to be in the playing XI and bat for the team. Early on, when I was asked to bat in different places, it was a challenge mentally. But now that I have played in ODIs and Test cricket, and all over the place, it has given me an idea as to how I need to manage my innings,” he said in November.
His successful transition was key to India’s win in Perth, and once again, his ability to adjust could influence India’s fortunes in the 50-over format.
In the six ODIs under Gambhir’s charge, a left-hander has featured in the top five on five occasions, highlighting his preference for a left-right combination in the middle overs. This has caused yet another role change for KL Rahul.
sportstar.thehindu.com
