Dhoni as an opener in tests

[masterblaster]

• Dhoni to open in Tests- This is what's wrong with cricket in India. Any in-form batsman may have to open the innings, irrespective if he fits the bill or not. It's made several players instantly out of form. Dhoni is a pinch-hitter and nothing more. He may have averaged over 70 with a strike rate of over 102, he may have taken his team close to a series victory, but he's more effective at number 7, than at the top. Opening the batting is too crucial a role to tamper with.
• Gambhir has looked out of his depth- He's done quite well in most matches played on good wickets, against decent bowling attacks which he may face more often (South Africa, Pakistan), for a beginner. He is the only opener you can expect to score runs, rather than just block the ball. His intent is very good, and can win more than a few matches, and so is his strokeplay. His fielding and running between the wickets makes him a bigger asset to the side. Moreover, he has performed consistently well in three seasons for Delhi and North Zone, and even India A, so you know this man's good enough for an Indian top six.
• Dharmani seems a good bet- He's the only wicketkeeper in India who's good enough for a top-six position. He's a steady middle-order batsman, who can bail his side out of a tough situation, as he did against Mumbai, playing for Punjab. By far the best batsman among all the wicketkeepers, particularly at FC level, but he's not a regular wicketkeeper- he was actually a late starter with the gloves and occasionally allows a youngster to keep wickets for Punjab. Such players are a major risk behind the stumps. That said, he's a better choice than Parthiv or Dravid with the gloves.

Spot on analysis there Arjun, I agree with you there.

 

[SJS]

• Dhoni to open in Tests- This is what's wrong with cricket in India. Any in-form batsman may have to open the innings, irrespective if he fits the bill or not. It's made several players instantly out of form. Dhoni is a pinch-hitter and nothing more. He may have averaged over 70 with a strike rate of over 102, he may have taken his team close to a series victory, but he's more effective at number 7, than at the top. Opening the batting is too crucial a role to tamper with.
• Gambhir has looked out of his depth- He's done quite well in most matches played on good wickets, against decent bowling attacks which he may face more often (South Africa, Pakistan), for a beginner. He is the only opener you can expect to score runs, rather than just block the ball. His intent is very good, and can win more than a few matches, and so is his strokeplay. His fielding and running between the wickets makes him a bigger asset to the side. Moreover, he has performed consistently well in three seasons for Delhi and North Zone, and even India A, so you know this man's good enough for an Indian top six.
• Dharmani seems a good bet- He's the only wicketkeeper in India who's good enough for a top-six position. He's a steady middle-order batsman, who can bail his side out of a tough situation, as he did against Mumbai, playing for Punjab. By far the best batsman among all the wicketkeepers, particularly at FC level, but he's not a regular wicketkeeper- he was actually a late starter with the gloves and occasionally allows a youngster to keep wickets for Punjab. Such players are a major risk behind the stumps. That said, he's a better choice than Parthiv or Dravid with the gloves.

Spot On Arjun.

 

[xan_pro]

i would say gambhir should be kept as opener. dhoni is more a one day player with an aggressive stance at the crease.

 

[sledger]

i would say gambhir should be kept as opener. dhoni is more a one day player with an aggressive stance at the crease.

true, but who knows