West Indies vs India ODIs: Why it’s time for Ishan Kishan as keeper-batsman in playing XI | Cricket News

When India won the 2011 World Cup, they had three left-handers in Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina in the top seven. However, since then there has been a decline in the number of lefties in the playing XI. With the team management reluctant to go back to Shikhar Dhawan, the current batting line-up has only one left-hander in the first-choice starting XI – Ravindra Jadeja.
Why does it matter?
Earlier this year when India played Australia in an ODI in Chennai, leg-spinner Adam Zampa and left-arm spinner Ashton Agar kept the Indian middle order under tight control. The two took six wickets between themselves on a surface which was gripping and turning, helping Australia win the series. Though Axar Patel was promoted up the order in that game, he couldn’t deliver and the change in batting order durbed the batsmen who followed.
The reason behind the promotion of the all-rounder was to make up for the lack of a left-hander in the top order to counter Australia’s spinners. Come the World Cup, India will be facing similar conditions and most teams are equipped with a quality left-arm spinner and a leggie.
In the previous game at Vizag, Mitchell Starc picked up a fifer. The left-arm pacer did not need to change his angle or line of attack as one right-hander followed another. He ran through the batting order all himself. Jadeja was the first left-hander who came in at seven, which time the damage was done.
“You need to strike the right balance. Do you think a left-hander will make a difference at the top? He does not have to be opening, but in the top three or four. You have to weigh all those options. Ideally, in the top six, I would like to see two left-handers,” former India coach Ravi Shastri told The Week.
Hence, it might be handy to have a left-hander in the top order apart from Jadeja. Playing Ishan Kishan in the three-match ODI series against West Indies might be an ideal opportunity for the team management to assess his skills and what sort of role they want to assign him. Though he hasn’t played a lot of ODIs, Kishan did make a double ton against Bangladesh as an opener and showed what he can do on his day. In the middle order, he can take the spinners on and put pressure on the opposition.

What about Sanju Samson and KL Rahul?
The latter was injured in the IPL and before that, in a poor run of form. In addition, his strike rate has been a concern. The right-hander has been taking too long to get himself in and take on the bowlers. Though he has been consent in the 50-over format, his style of play thus far has not adhered to team philosophy. Rohit Sharma wants to play an attacking brand of cricket in ODIs and Kishan – an aggressive player instinct who can take on the bowler right from ball one – fits the bill. With Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill at the top, does the team need another anchor in Rahul in the middle order?
Samson, on the other hand, has been averaging 66.40 in ODI cricket. Though he is a seasoned campaigner in IPL and Indian domestic cricket, inconsency has been one of the major issues with him over the years. After getting a start and looking good for a brief period, throwing his wicket has been a pattern in his career. His ODI career has been brilliant so far but the sample size is too small.
If one takes a bigger sample size of his L A career, numbers have been rather mediocre with 3,014 runs at an average of 32.40 from 115 games. Kishan has scored 3,059 runs from 91 games at an average of 37.76. With better numbers and the added advantage of being a left-hander, Kishan provides a better balance to the side.

Can Jaiswal come in?
Though he is not in the ODI squad, he will remain with the team for the T20Is to follow and can be given an opportunity if there’s an opening. The left-hander is going through a purple patch and can be brought into the ODI set-up. He has shown he has no particular weakness against any type of bowling and can play in different gears according to the requirement of the situation. In his brief career, he has also shown a sound temperament.
However, Jaiswal’s inclusion would need either him playing out of position or rejigging of the batting order. Kohli and Rohit have played in the middle order and been successful in the past. In fact, Kohli batted at No. 4 in 2011 when India won the World Cup and played a key role. With a wealth of experience, both stars can adapt to various conditions and situations, and adding Jaiswal will only strengthen the team.