Former Indian cricketers Murali Kartik and Ambati Rayudu recently engaged in a debate over India’s batting combination following the team’s second ODI against New Zealand in Wellington. The discussion centred on whether Ishan Kishan should replace Naman Dhir to strengthen India’s middle order on challenging pitches.
The debate emerged after India struggled during their rain-affected chase of 135 runs against New Zealand. All-rounder Axar Patel, who was promoted to No. 5, managed just 17 runs off 17 deliveries before getting dismissed. Rayudu felt that Axar was not suited to batting at that position, particularly on a pitch offering extra bounce.
Rayudu Suggests Ishan Kishan as an Alternative
Rayudu suggested that India should consider bringing Ishan Kishan into the playing combination as an additional specialist batter. He believed Kishan could provide greater stability in the middle order, especially on difficult batting surfaces.
According to Rayudu, Kishan could bat alongside established middle-order players Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, allowing Axar to return to his more familiar lower-order position. He proposed dropping Naman Dhir to accommodate the wicketkeeper-batter.
Kartik Calls the Suggestion a ‘Waste of Time’
Murali Kartik strongly disagreed with Rayudu’s proposal, describing the idea of playing Kishan at No. 6 as a “waste of time”.
Kartik argued that Kishan is primarily a top-order batter who is more comfortable opening the innings or batting at No. 3. He pointed out that India’s existing batting order already has Virat Kohli at No. 3, Shreyas Iyer at No. 4 and KL Rahul at No. 5.
Kartik also praised Naman Dhir’s shot timing and questioned the logic of bringing Kishan into a lower-order role that does not naturally suit his batting style.
India Secure Narrow Win Over New Zealand
The discussion followed India’s four-run victory over New Zealand in the second ODI at Wellington. Chasing a target of 135, India reached 113/7 in 26 overs before rain interrupted play. The visitors eventually secured victory through the DLS method.
However, Axar Patel’s recent batting performances have become a talking point, particularly with Ravindra Jadeja absent from the side. The debate between Rayudu and Kartik has added another dimension to discussions about India’s ideal batting combination going forward.
