Former India captain, Sachin Tendulkar believes Ms Dhoni should bat at No. 5 in the World Cup 2019.
A week before the start of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Sachin Tendulkar says, having Dhoni, whose 341 ODI appearances which makes him the most experienced player at this year’s World Cup, should play at number five.
“My personal opinion is Dhoni should be batting (at) five,” Tendulkar, part of the Dhoni-led squad who won the 2011 World Cup on home soil, told ESPNcricinfo.
According to Sachin Tendulkar, India should use the experienced batsmen in the squad at the World Cup in England with MS Dhoni coming in at No. 5.
Sachin Tendulkar said, “I still don’t know what the team combination would be, but if you are going Rohit and Shikhar as openers, to Virat at No. 3 and whoever at No. 4 then Dhoni could be No. 5. Then Hardik Pandya, an explosive player, follows them”.
“That way the experienced batsmen are well spaced out and Dhoni can stretch the game towards the end where he himself can be explosive along with Hardik. From No 5-8 you are looking at finishers, who stay till the end and soak in that pressure. I feel we are well equipped to do that,” he said.
Tendulkar, who remains the only cricketer with 100 international centuries against his name, said, “A left-right combination always helps because that means the bowler has to adjust his line every now and then and the (bowling) captain has also to keep thinking.”
“I believe if you have quality spinners to bowl in the middle overs they would end up picking wickets,” said the former captain.
“It is all about bowling in partnerships – if quality bowlers could bowl in tandem and create pressure on the batting line-up that is one way of countering all these factors (that) I feel are not in favour of the bowlers,” he further added.
India will face its first match of 2019 ICC World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 5.
