Quest for No 6 batsman should be answered by Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma

By Karthik Parimal

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Yuvraj Singh is undoubtedly one of India‘s finest middle-order batsmen in the limited-overs format. He has come good for the team more often than not and the manner in which he managed to silence his critics by contributing heavily to India’s success in the 2011 World Cup is praiseworthy, especially considering the fact that he ran the risk of being axed from the side owing to a string of below-par performances. Unfortunately, Yuvraj couldn’t make a similar comeback in the longer format to revive his already-fading Test career.

“In the upcoming series against the West Indies and Australia, I want to score big and make a mark in the Test format. I want to restructure my Test career and I’ll raise the bar this time,” he said before the start of the West Indies series. Sadly, neither did he score big and nor was the bar raised in the first two Tests against the West Indies. He was eventually dropped for the last Test. By the looks of it, he will have to wait much longer before he gets another shot at being a permanent fixture of the Indian Test team.

One man’s loss is another man’s gain. And surely, the immensely-talented Rohit Sharma, who is yet to make his Test debut, was picked for the third Test after his successful outings with Mumbai in this season’s Ranji Trophy. He scored 175 and 100 against Railways and Rajasthan respectively before scoring a fine half-century against Karnataka. Rohit is another player who has consistently weaved his magic on the domestic front but often faltered while representing the national side. Nevertheless, he was made to warm the bench for the final Test, as young Virat Kohli was picked to be a part of the playing eleven ahead of him.

Kohli made his Test debut earlier this year when India toured the West Indies immediately after the World Cup. He was the fastest Indian to score a 1000 runs in One-Day Internationals (ODI). With his classy elegance and solid technique, one got the feeling that it wouldn’t require a great deal of effort for Kohli to adjust his style of play and adapt to the testing conditions of the Test matches. However, he soon realised it wasn’t a cakewalk and his experience in his first Test series seemed to be miles away from the comfort level and success he enjoyed in the shorter formats. He struggled against Fidel Edwards and short-pitched deliveries. He failed to capitalise on that golden opportunity provided to him.

Having said that, it would be premature to write off Kohli as only a one-day specialist on the basis of the three Tests he has batted so far. If his achievements in the shorter formats are considered, Kohli promises a lot and has proven that he has the wherewithal to succeed in Test cricket. By being picked for the third Test, Kohli has an excellent opportunity to carve a niche for himself in the game’s original and authentic format, thereby repay the faith his captain and selectors have shown in him.

Kohli is one of the talented young batsmen capable of filling in some of the void when India’s Big Three exit the international stage. Considering India’s current batting line-up, it is the lower middle-order that needs more stability and solidity. The No 6 position hasn’t belonged to anybody at least since the last couple of years. Suresh Raina averaged under 30 in the 15 matches he played and Yuvraj Singh averages under 35 in the 37 Tests. Both tend to be very inconsistent in the longer format.

It will augur well for Indian cricket if Kohli capitalises on this opportunity given to him count as he could unlock for himself a whole new world of opportunities by getting selected for the tour of Australia. Also, by picking Rohit Sharma in the squad for the final Test, the selectors have probably hinted that he might well be on the plane to Australia. All in all, it will be an exciting contest between a new-look Australian side and India. And, hopefully, the series Down Under will put an end to India’s quest for a No 6 batsman.

(If cricket is a religion and has many devotees, Karthik Parimal would be a primary worshipper. This 23 year old graduate student, pursuing his Masters in Engineering, could be an appropriate example of how the layers of what inspires, motivates and keeps one happy run deeply in our daily lives. He, unlike others, is not too disappointed about not making it big by playing for the country, but believes that he plays the sport every day with his heart by watching and writing on it)