MS Dhoni and the Number Four Conundrum

Think MS Dhoni and you will think of a cricketer who has undergone quite a few transformations since his international debut in 2004. When he first burst onto the scene, he was a swashbuckling hitter who specialised in finishing matches for the team. (India Script 77-Run Win to Avoid Whitewash)

Over the years, MSD the batsman has become more sedate, floating up and down the batting order. The three match ODI series versus Bangladesh though saw the Indian skipper come in at number four in two of the games and he did quite well both times - but is that the best position for MSD to bat at? (MS Dhoni Slams Fast Bowlers)

After the third ODI versus Bangladesh, Dhoni said, "In the last one and a half or two years, I haven't really batted at number 4. At times I have batted at 4, but that was when we had a long partnership. This was my first chance to say I want to bat up the order." (For MS Dhoni Victory is Key)

In the second ODI, at a time when a lot of people were questioning why Ajinkya Rahane was dropped, Dhoni came in at number four with the scoreboard reading 74/2. He made a 75-ball 47, clearly trying to steady the ship. He fell with the score at 174/6. (MS Dhoni Can't be Disrespected: Raina)

The Indian innings folded up 26 runs later.

Talking about the kind of support he is looking for from the lower order if he comes in at number four, Dhoni said, "It's something I can do if the number 6 batsman and the lower order keep doing well. It gives me the liberty to go up and be a bit more expressive and I won't be shy." (India Drop Points in ICC Rankings)

He got the chance to be more expressive in the third ODI when he once again came in at four. This time the scoreboard read 114/2, which allowed Dhoni to play a more fluent innings. He made a 77-ball 69, with six fours and a six.

MS Dhoni plays a shot during 3rd ODI.

© AFP

Suresh Raina later said, "The way he was batting, you got the feeling that he will play a big knock. He had to take up the responsibility. He played well in the last match as well, when I batted. Credit goes to MS, the way he set things up with Shikhar, then Rayudu. The team is looking good now."

That the team is happy with MSD's performances at number four is not surprising. After all, Dhoni's average of 68 at number four is the best for any batsman in ODI history.

Overall, Dhoni has batted in as many as seven different positions, from number two to number eight since his ODI debut. The bulk of his 231 innings have seen him bat at numbers five and six, but he has been at his attacking best when batting at either three or four.

Dhoni's floating days though might not be over just yet. After all, Dhoni becoming the permanent number four is not that straightforward a proposition. Both he and the team management will want to keep a certain amount of flexibility in the batting and he is best suited for that role.

NDTV cricket expert Sunil Gavaskar said, "I don't think he will push himself to number 4 if some early wickets fall, then the regular batsmen will go in. This will always be a situation where he will look at the position that the team is in and what the team needs and promote himself to number 4 or number 5."

Also, Ajinkya Rahane cannot be ignored for too long. He might be a specialist opener, but number four is the position he has been trying to fit himself into.

Gavaskar told NDTV, "I don't think that he (Dhoni) can be the permanent number 4. I think Ajinkya Rahane will be the number 4 that India has to look at because he's got the variety of shots, despite the fact that we have been told that he doesn't rotate the strike well enough."

Dhoni himself has said that he ideally wants to bat up the order. However, being the consummate team man, the Indian captain will put the interest of the team ahead of his own. As things stand, perhaps MS Dhoni will never manage to have a fixed batting position in the ODI playing XI.