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Dhaka: The batting line-up which India will play against Bangladesh in their opening World Cup fixture on Saturday is more or less final, if one goes by what MS Dhoni said here on Wednesday night, after the warm-up match against New Zealand.
Dhoni gave a strong hint that Virat Kohli will bat at No.4 which means Suresh Raina will have to sit out. "It's important that Virat bats at number four with Gambhir who bats at number three." Dhoni suggested that Virat's form gave him an edge over Raina.
So, in all likelihood, the line-up should be Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gambhir, Virat, Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan. Now, what remains is the bowling combination.
About Yuvraj, Dhoni made it clear that the 'allrounder' was a key element in his scheme of things. Yuvraj is the proven matchwinner but hasn't been in the best of batting form of late while Kohli is making a mark in every game that he is playing. Raina struggled against South Africa away from home, but there's no doubt about his abilities in the sub-continent where the ball doesn't go over waist height on a regular basis.
If it wasn't a senior like Yuvraj, things would have been easier for the captain with Kohli and Raina walking into the playing XI. But Yuvi is too talented a player to be left out.
The skipper conceded that the Punjab dasher is a touch "out of form", but he gave his reasons to stand by Yuvraj at this crucial juncture. "If all the batsmen are in good nick, I do not mind one batsman being out of form. With the talent he has, I will back him fully," Dhoni said.
It's not just the talent with the bat that is making Dhoni back Yuvraj for the time being. He needs a left-arm spinner in the squad who adds a little bit of variation to the attack.
Even though Yuvi has struggled with the bat in recent times, his bowling has been very effective, be it in the seamer-friendly conditions of South Africa or the slow sub-continent surfaces.
"We are playing with four bowlers and a part-time spinner is really important, especially if he is a left-arm orthodox. That
really adds to the bowling strength and that's one big advantage Yuvraj has got over others," Dhoni made it amply clear that it's Yuvi's bowling that is keeping him in the playing XI for now.
The skipper, though, believes that Yuvraj is one good knock away from finding form. "Once he gets the 30-40 runs under his belt, he can be really a destructive customer. The best thing about him is that once he starts getting runs, it will be difficult to stop him. He makes it a point that India will win the series," Dhoni added.
And it's the Yuvraj-factor that has put the skipper in a bit of a quandary regarding the batting order as well. He feels Kohli is best suited for No.4. But Yuvi is the one who has played in that slot for a while and the skipper feels "the problem will start when he has got a couple of 50s." "That will be the time we will be in a dilemma. The number four slot is very important for us and Kohli is one who takes a bit of time to settle before giving the charge," Dhoni said.
