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'Rahane should be a permanent number four, not Dhoni'

Last updated on: July 02, 2015 16:03 IST

Indian ODI captain MS Dhoni plays a shot. Photograph: Getty Images

Sunil Gavaskar says number four should not be a permanent slot for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ajinkya Rahane must bat at that position.

"He (Dhoni) is always going to see what situation the team is in, what the team needs and then he can promote to number 4 or 5.

"If the openers made a brilliant start, say 150 for no loss in 20 overs, then he might even promote himself to number three if there is the need to get the push going or the pressure going," the former captain told NDTV

"But I don't think that he (Dhoni) can be a permanent number four."

Ajinkya Rahane of India plays a shot. Photograph: Getty Images

"I think Ajinkya Rahane is the number four India can look at because he has got the variety of shots despite the fact that we have been told that he does not rotate the strike well enough.

"But I think he has got the variety of shots, he has got the techniques in case of early wickets to stem the flow of wickets and steady the innings." 

Dhoni hit a superb 69 after promoting himself at number four in the third and final ODI against Bangladesh and Gavaskar praised the captain for his impressive batting. 

"That is the beauty of his (Dhoni's) batting, isn't it. He can float up and down the order and get runs anywhere. I think he realised that so much depended on him to show the way because the top order, despite having a big reputation, did not do well.

"Apart from Shikhar Dhawan, there was no consistency; it was one of those rare series that Virat Kohli has not fired," he said.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar with MS Dhoni. Photograph: Getty Images

"I think MSD realised that he had to bat upfront and that is what he did. He showed the way. He got out for 69 after he looked set to go on and get a hundred.

"But at least he had set the ball rolling, he had set the tempo, he got the rhythm going and that allowed batsmen down the order like Suresh Raina to come and bat freely and get those extra runs that made the difference," said Gavaskar. 

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