India's Fourth Best Opener

[Flametree]

If you were picking Indian All Time XI's presumably


Sorry about that, I tried a poll and something went wrong so I thought that the whole thread hadn't started

I'll restart....

Just in light of the current team's opening struggles in South Africa.....

Presumably most people pick Gavaskar plus one of Sehwag or Merchant in their ATG Indian Test XI. Given the other of Sehwag and Merchant make the second xi, who would you pick to partner them?

Statistically, I guess it's one of Sidhu, Gambhir, Vijay, Rahul or Dhawan who all average about 40. Or you could go for one of the old timers like Roy, Contractor, Chauhan who average just over 30.

Shastri must have opened a bit I guess. Is the opening slot a way to get Mankad in the side?

Or do you just give up and make Pujara open (which might leave a bit of a hole at 3).

 

[Burgey]

Chetan Chauhan

 

[cnerd123]

Gavaskar and Sehwag are one and two, I imagine there are plenty of contenders for 3 and 4.

If we extend to include ODIs then Gavaskar, Sehwag, Sachin, Ganguly easily.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Gavaskar and Sehwag are one and two, I imagine there are plenty of contenders for 3 and 4.

If we extend to include ODIs then Gavaskar, Sehwag, Sachin, Ganguly easily.

1. Gavaskar
2/3 Merchant/Sehwag

is what OP meant I think

4th would probably be Gambhir tbh.

 

[jimmy101]

Along with Gambhir, a few names I can think of include Mankad, Roy, Sidhu, Ganguly & Vijay.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here & say NS Sidhu. Would have went for Sourav, but he wasn't always an opener.

In ODIs Dravid, Tendulkar & Jadeja are all worth a mention.

 

[S.Kennedy]

1. Gavaskar
2. Sehwag
3. Gambhir
4. Sidhu
5. M. Mankad

Forgotten Merchant. Only 10 matches though.

 

[Daemon]

By the time you reach the 4th best opener you may as well get Dravid to open

 

[Black_Warrior]

Along with Gambhir, a few names I can think of include Mankad, Roy, Sidhu, Ganguly & Vijay.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here & say NS Sidhu. Would have went for Sourav, but he wasn't always an opener.

In ODIs Dravid, Tendulkar & Jadeja are all worth a mention.

Ganguly is not a Test Opener

 

[oblongballs]

A serious drop off in quality from Gavaskar and Sehwag to whoever is next. I guess Gambhir?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Burgey's peahearted mate probably gets the nod as next in line.

 

[Himannv]

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Merchant
Mankad

 

[ankitj]

Mankad would be it. Although I would have him in first xi as lower order bat.

 

[srbhkshk]

Mankad would be it. Although I would have him in first xi as lower order bat.

Surely Kohli has done enough for #5 , with the keeper and Kapil, is there a place for Mankad?

 

[ankitj]

Surely Kohli has done enough for #5 , with the keeper and Kapil, is there a place for Mankad?

I think so. India xi would probably have 3 spinners. One of them can easily be Mankad. Kohli only replaces Laxman/Hazare.

 

[srbhkshk]

I think so. India xi would probably have 3 spinners. One of them can easily be Mankad. Kohli only replaces Laxman/Hazare.

humm yeah, can work with 3 spinners. Hopefully one of our current pacers would allows us a 3-2 attack in the first team eventually.

 

[jimmy101]

Hopefully Nufers will roll out his ATG India game soon enough to answer this question.