India always had a great No.4, they just never used him

India's No.4 batting position has been a topic of debate for a long time now. Many players have been tried, tested and have even enjoyed their day in the sun but somehow somewhere things have not fallen in line. Ambati Rayudu, before him Ajinkya Rahane and many others before that have had their chance but no one has been able to cement himself.

The question that comes up at this moment is what does one look at when they look for an ideal fit at No.4. They look for someone who can stabilize the ship in case of an early collapse. They look for someone who can bat for long periods and of course someone who can score big when the situation presents itself.

When we list down the qualities in this way and we look at our batting lineup we find that we have someone who fits the bill perfectly. The thing is, we've had him with us for more than a decade. The player I am talking about? Let's go through the list again. Reliable, stabilizes the innings, ability to play big shots, can bat for a long duration. Does it ring a bell? We're talking about Mahendra Singh Dhoni and without a doubt he does fit the bill. Dhoni at 4 could just be the answer that the Indian team is looking for.

Probably one of the best the game has ever seen

Especially since he's shown in recent times that he does need some time in the middle before he can go for his shots. Dhoni at 4 also provides the opportunity for India to pack its lower order at 6 and 7 with power hitters likeHardik Pandya. One of the places where the Indian team has been caught on the wrong foot many a time has been the inability to score those towering scores of 380-390 because of a comparatively weaker lower order and a lack of hitting power.

With Dhoni batting through, the hitters can rally around him and go for those big shots. There have been just way too much experimentation that has gone around the No.4 batting position. For once, the Indian team should just stack their top 4 with their best batsmen and assign Dhoni to bat through the innings. India always had one of the best No.4s for the modern era but Dhoni almost always compromised his position to provide better stability to the lineup. In the twilight of his career with a diminishing hitting ability, he could prove to be a great asset at No.4.

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