Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar believes Ajinkya Rahane, being an experienced head in the team, should replace Virat Kohli at No.4 during the forthcoming Test series in Australia when the regular captain returns home on paternity leave after the first game.
Vice-captain Rahane will be leading India in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane when Kohli comes back after the Adelaide Test to attend the impending birth of his first child in early January.
WATCH - Ian Chappell backs Ajinkya Rahane to fill Virat Kohli's void in the Test series
Suggesting what should be India's ideal batting combination to compete against the Aussies, Manjrekar took note of Rohit Sharma's injury as well as Kohli's absence and backed Rahane's recent form as a Test batsman to inspire a promotion above No.5.
"Mayank Agarwal walks in as opener in Tests, let's assume that Rohit is not playing the first two Tests, I would go for Prithvi Shaw as the second opener. Let's see how it goes and if Shaw shows the poor form as he did in the IPL, then Shubman Gill can be looked at," Manjrekar told ANI.
"In Virat's absence, Ajinkya Rahane should step up and bat at number four. Hanuma Vihari can bat at number five, if Shubman is tried in the middle order, then he should bat at number six."
"Rahane has been averaging more than 50 in his last nine Tests, we will have to wait and see whether Rahane steps up, in fact, it's a question of the entire batting line-up stepping up, we have only seen them in white-ball cricket, Kohli not being there after the first Test is a massive setback."
"In foreign conditions, Kohli is half the Indian batting, (Cheteshwar) Pujara stepped up last time in Australia, Kohli has been India's most dependable player in foreign conditions, so his absence will be a huge setback. This particular series against Australia is a test of the depth of India's cricket talent in Tests," he added.
Manjrekar also feels playing limited-overs cricket before striving to retain the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy will only help Indian players ease into the international game again.
"I have always said that India used to miss the trick in the past that they would start with the Test matches first. Test performances and Test series results stay with us much longer. Even if you have a very good white-ball series, but if you lose in the Test series, that's what people remember."
"So it is a very good way to start the series and off late, that has been the way things have been happening. Indian cricket administration needs to be complimented that they are easing their players through white-ball cricket for the final sort of acid test that comes with the longest format."
Manjrekar must also be pleased with the fact that India opted for Mayank Agarwal to open with Shikhar Dhawan in Rohit's absence in the ODI series opener on Friday (November 27), having earlier batted for the same as KL Rahul was retained at No.5 in wicketkeeper batsman role.
"See, the thing is that India has a lot of depth when it comes to white-ball cricket," he said. "Rohit is almost irreplaceable but India has options. Let's not forget, in his last four innings, Rahul scored more than 80 runs in three innings while batting in the middle order (number five) in India's last ODI series in New Zealand. The credit needs to go to Rahul that he first got a hundred as an opener and then he registered scores of more than 80 while batting at number five."
"India's problem in white-ball cricket for a long time now has been the number four-six slots. In the World Cup, that hurt India a lot and I feel this area needs to be addressed. That is why I feel, Rahul needs to bat at number five because he has done so well in that position and India needs a dependable middle order."
"Mayank Agarwal has a Test match sort of temperament and his recent form can be used by India at the top of the order."
A firm believer in specialists, Manjrekar doesn't have space for all-rounder Hardik Pandya in his preferred ODI XI if the cricketer isn't offering the team some overs. Hardik hasn't bowled at all since the start of the IPL 2020 in UAE and didn't do in Sydney either.
"I won't play Hardik Pandya as a pure batsman, in T20 cricket I would but in the 50-over format I would not do that. As a pure batsman, I would back Manish Pandey ahead of Hardik for ODI cricket," said Manjrekar, who also opined in favour of going back to the wrist-spin combination of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.
"The focus will be on Test cricket. India might compromise on a few players in the white-ball leg against Australia. It also depends, if India is leading 2-0 heading into the third T20I, then they might rest Shami or Bumrah. I have no doubt that India will take calls so that players are 100 per cent fit for the Test matches."
"I will go with both spinners (Chahal and Kuldeep), it is a good time to get Kuldeep back in form in Australia, wrist spin always works in Australia, it's a proper time to re-establish the spin combination of Chahal and Kuldeep. I would go back to that combination," he signed off.
