The Great Indian Middle Order Crisis Thread

[honestbharani]

Thakur much value in Asia though?

Yeah... he is very good when he gets a bit of reverse.

 

[karan_fromthestands]

Thakur much value in Asia though?

Is their any other quick that India could take a punt on and see what they can offer? No disrespect but Sri Lanka at home is an ideal opportunity to take a few risks,,,if he is crap not like it will change the outcome of the series!
Another concern for India, Rohit is 35 soon, lets hope he can keep his form up for another 18 months or so.

Gill and Shaw will be fully ready to replace him by then.

 

[Teja.]

Vihari does not have a good future as a test batsman. We should add Iyer, Sundar, GIll and Shaw to the rotation and shift Mayank and Vihari to the rung below them in terms of opportunities.

 

[karan_fromthestands]

Umesh needs to be axed. He is good, but he hasn't improved a bit, he is a headache in low scoring games. He should've fixed his issues by now, it'd be better if a youngster is given some space to grow. Mavi seems like the perfect guy to replace him.

 

[karan_fromthestands]

Vihari does not have a good future as a test batsman. We should add Iyer, Sundar, GIll and Shaw to the rotation and shift Mayank and Vihari to the rung below them in terms of opportunities.

Based on what?

 

[Teja.]

Based on what?

He has extremely limited scoring range and has been given so many opportunities (13 tests) for deeply mediocre results already. He just has an extremely low skill ceiling.

Averaging early 30s might be better than the performance of our current 3-5 but I think we can do better considering the availability of prodigious talents like Shaw who was given a much shorter leash and dropped at the first failure.

Iyer has also shown in one test what Vihari has not shown in 13 IMO.

 

[karan_fromthestands]

He has extremely limited scoring range and has been given so many opportunities (13 tests) for deeply mediocre results already. He just has an extremely low skill ceiling.

Averaging early 30s might be better than the performance of our current 3-5 but I think we can do better considering the availability of prodigious talents like Shaw who was given a much shorter leash and dropped at the first failure.

Iyer has also shown in one test what Vihari has not shown in 13 IMO.

This is a weird comparison. Vihari has played 12 out of his 13 tests in away conditions(mostly SENA). Iyer played one series at home against NZ. Iyer is yet to be tested in unfamiliar conditions. From what we've seen of Vihari, he is technically sound and is handy with the ball. He has earned his place in the team and is yet to get a proper run. His FC stats are also ridiculously good. It would be unfair to just write him off even before giving him a proper chance.

 

[Teja.]

This is a weird comparison. Vihari has played 12 out of his 13 tests in away conditions(mostly SENA). Iyer played one series at home against NZ. Iyer is yet to be tested in unfamiliar conditions. From what we've seen of Vihari, he is technically sound and is handy with the ball. He has earned his place in the team and is yet to get a proper run. His FC stats are also ridiculously good. It would be unfair to just write him off even before giving him a proper chance.

Vihari has been given 6 tests since 2020 which is a fairly decent amount of chances for a new comer in a short length of time. He averages 24 with the bat in those chances with a single 50. That is the same level or worse than our 3-5 have been in the same period.

How many more games do you want to feed him at that level of performance?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Vihari has been given 6 tests since 2020 which is a fairly decent amount of chances for a new comer in a short length of time. He averages 24 with the bat in those chances with a single 50. That is the same level or worse than our 3-5 have been in the same period.

How many more games do you want to feed him at that level of performance?

6 tests in three years is nothing when he's left out every other series. Give him one or two full series, if he doesn't go well move on.

 

[Teja.]

6 tests in three is nothing when he's left out every other series. Give him one or two full series, if he doesn't go well move on.

In NZ and Australia 20/21, he got 5 tests nearly back-to-back and showed his class by scoring 150 runs @ 19 in those tests.

The Sydney innings was important but do you agree it's perfectly justifiable to look for other options when someone performs like that when they are given 5 tests out of 6?

 

[OverratedSanity]

In NZ and Australia 20/21, he got 5 tests nearly back-to-back and showed his class by scoring 150 runs @ 19 in those tests.

That's fine he should still get a full series and should back him for a while. Our incumbents are trash and he's shown one or two innings of grit which could be useful.

He has a fantastic fc record which deserves more respect than 13 tests in 5 years with the entire middle order stinking up the scene . If it's still this bad after like 22-23, fine we can move on.

 

[Teja.]

That's fine he should still get a full series and should back him for a while. Our incumbents are trash and he's shown one or two innings of grit which could be useful.

He has a fantastic fc record which deserves more respect than 13 tests in 5 years with the entire middle order stinking up the scene . If it's still this bad after like 22-23, fine we can move on.

Fair. IMO, he was given a decent run in 20/21 and utterly failed. I don't think he should be binned but he can be kept in the back end of the selection rotation while guys like Shaw and Iyer get their chances.

 

[Xix2565]

I really don't get this idea of benching Vihari for the likes of Shaw and such, it's like we'll just ignore his overall record and the situations in which he had to bat just to push up a guy who's already failed harder than him. At the very least Vihari/Gill/Iyer should be the first bats in when hopefully Pujara and Rahane are done with for good.

 

[Arachnodouche]

Shaw has been prematurely benched for his own good, not because he doesn't have the numbers in his short career. The optics of him getting bowled in Adelaide weren't great but let's not pretend that was anything more than just the one game. He might continue being found out or he might surprise us, we simply don't know yet.

 

[Salamuddin]

Vihari was also the top scorer for India A on their tour of South Africa and made 60 runs for one dismissal in the Jo burg.

think he deserves a sustained run to see if he really has what it takes at this level

 

[Salamuddin]

think India should look at Ruturaj gaikwad seriously for test cricket - maybe try and groom him via A tours.

his first class stats are not outstanding but he looks very good technically and temperamentally.

 

[Chrish]

Vihari can play the role of “wall” that Pujara has played. Guy has test temperament and desire to occupy the crease. Iyer seems most logical replacement for Rahane.

Rohit who is arguably our best batsman hopefully will be back for rest of the year. That should be big.

 

[Daemon]

Since 2020, with a 500 run qualifier, these are the 6 worst batsmen in the world by average. Holder is an all rounder so doesnt even count.Literally every one of England's atrocious batsmen has a better record. Literally worse than Rory Burns but class is permanent, am I right guys?

View attachment 30450

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

When will the pain end?

Remember when we were moaning about this before the England test series and were asked to stop complaining because we have 4 world class bats in our side?

3 series later and it's somehow become worse..