3 times Indian Cricket Team captain bats at unusual position
Team India really surprised everyone with their batting order in the first ODI against the West Indies! It was a great opportunity for Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya to shine. I remember when MS Dhoni used to bat at No. 7 and he was so good at finishing the game. It’s always interesting to see a captain bat out of their usual spot.
Also Read: India’s Concerns After Winning the West Indies Test Series
Rahul Dravid vs Bermuda, 2007 (ODI)
The game against Bermuda in the 2007 ODI World Cup. It was a must-win game for India after the embarrassing defeat to Bangladesh. Ganguly and Sehwag played brilliantly and put India in a commanding position. It was interesting to see Dravid hold himself and Sachin Tendulkar back and send in the big-hitters MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh instead.
The plan worked perfectly as Dhoni and Yuvraj scored quickly and Tendulkar later came in and played a blistering knock. Dravid himself came in at No. 7 and hit a six off the last ball of the innings. It was a great team effort and India managed to post a massive total of 413/5.
MS Dhoni vs Australia, 2008 (Test)
The Test match against Australia in Mohali in 2008. MS Dhoni was the captain in the absence of Anil Kumble and he played a great innings of 92 in the first innings. India posted a massive total of 469 in the first innings thanks to half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly.
After taking a 201-run lead, India chose not to enforce the follow-on and Gambhir and Virender Sehwag batted brilliantly to form a partnership of 182. Dhoni promoted himself up the order to No. 3 and scored an unbeaten 84-ball 68 to set up a timely declaration. India won the match by 320 runs and Dhoni was named the Player of the Match.
Harmanpreet Kaur vs Pakistan, 2022 (T20I)
The Women’s Asia Cup match against Pakistan in 2022. India experimented with their batting lineup and it didn’t work out well in the chase of 138 on a sluggish pitch. Harmanpreet Kaur held herself back and the Pakistani spinners orchestrated a collapse, leaving India in trouble at 65/5 before It was a tough match against Pakistan in the Women’s Asia Cup.
The Indian team was in trouble at 65/5 before Harmanpreet Kaur came out to bat. She and Deepti Sharma batted well together, but both fell in quick succession. Richa Ghosh did her best, but India fell short by 13 runs. But India went on to clinch the Asia Cup by trouncing Sri Lanka in the final.
