Indian Cricket: Crises of Opening
Indians were with yet another opening option at Adelaide oval, this time Irfan Pathan was asked to move up in batting line to open with the Shewag. If we look at the changing opening pairs, tried by India, ever since, their last tour to Australia [2003-2004] the number goes in to double figure. In fact during the last tour Indians were without this problem of opening pair, as in the course of that series Aakash Chopara and Shewag opened the inning and starting from this were done that for 8 matches. In the 15 innings of these 8 matches pair was able to score 672 runs at the average of 44.8 including three century partnerships. Aakash Chopara was dropped from the side for the 2004 Nagpur Test match against the Australia and ever since than he is still struggling to find a place in Indian team.
India is unable to solve this problem ever since the retirement of Sunil Gavaskar almost 20 years back and always preferred to experiment with this important batting slot either for the lack of availability or for adjusting some one into playing eleven, most of the times this player is Stylish batsman Yuvraj Singh, as seen in the first two test matches of current series where Rahul was forced to open with Jaffar, In the third test Shewag was opening with Jafar.
Gautam Gtambhir also patterned with Shewag for opening the Indian inning in 12 matches and duo scored 1002 runs at average of 55.66 in 19 innings, but again to adjust the Yuvraj, Gambhir was dropped during the match against the Pakistan in the year 2006. Mean while even Laxman was asked to open with Dravid during the Indian tour to Pakistan.
This is the third time that Irfan went into ground as the opener for India the previous two occasions were in the 2006 against the touring Shrilanka at Delhi, in second inning he was partner of Gambhir and scored a good 93 runs, the next was in the same year at Nagpur against touring England though this time his partner was Jaffar.
Indians were with yet another opening option at Adelaide oval, this time Irfan Pathan was asked to move up in batting line to open with the Shewag. If we look at the changing opening pairs, tried by India, ever since, their last tour to Australia [2003-2004] the number goes in to double figure. In fact during the last tour Indians were without this problem of opening pair, as in the course of that series Aakash Chopara and Shewag opened the inning and starting from this were done that for 8 matches. In the 15 innings of these 8 matches pair was able to score 672 runs at the average of 44.8 including three century partnerships. Aakash Chopara was dropped from the side for the 2004 Nagpur Test match against the Australia and ever since than he is still struggling to find a place in Indian team.
India is unable to solve this problem ever since the retirement of Sunil Gavaskar almost 20 years back and always preferred to experiment with this important batting slot either for the lack of availability or for adjusting some one into playing eleven, most of the times this player is Stylish batsman Yuvraj Singh, as seen in the first two test matches of current series where Rahul was forced to open with Jaffar, In the third test Shewag was opening with Jafar.
Gautam Gtambhir also patterned with Shewag for opening the Indian inning in 12 matches and duo scored 1002 runs at average of 55.66 in 19 innings, but again to adjust the Yuvraj, Gambhir was dropped during the match against the Pakistan in the year 2006. Mean while even Laxman was asked to open with Dravid during the Indian tour to Pakistan.
This is the third time that Irfan went into ground as the opener for India the previous two occasions were in the 2006 against the touring Shrilanka at Delhi, in second inning he was partner of Gambhir and scored a good 93 runs, the next was in the same year at Nagpur against touring England though this time his partner was Jaffar.
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