English
New Delhi: Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has stood firmly by his approach of using a flexible batting order in ODIs, where positions particularly in the middle order are not set in stone. Despite facing loss in few matches Gambhir is dedicated to stick to the strategy. AB de Villiers, also known as Mr. 360, one of the game’s all-time greats, largely agrees with Gambhir’s strategy but warned that there’s a “fine line” he must be careful not to cross.
“I do agree with him to a certain extent. I’ve always enjoyed a floating batting lineup in ODIs. But it’s a fine line because you can’t really play around too much with the players’ roles. It’s the top three, four to six, and then your tailenders who can hold the bat. It’s almost like three segments, and you can really be creative with that. Play with right and left-hand combinations and certain situations of the game,” De Villiers reflected on Gambhir’s strategy on his YouTube channel.
De Villiers was especially impressed with India’s consistency in the T20 format, where Gambhir has implemented a similar flexible batting order approach.
“It has been incredible, especially for a T20 format. It’s the most volatile format of the three, and to have that kind of consistency tells you there must be something going on that’s heading in the right direction. I think it’s got to do with the depth of Indian cricket,” said De Villiers.
Gambhir’s comments on flexible batting orders in white-ball cricket followed India’s 2-1 ODI series victory over South Africa. According to Gambhir only opener’s spot are fixed, and no player needs to bat in a fixed position.
“I think in a one-day format, you should know the template that you want to play with. I’ve always believed that in white-ball cricket, batting orders are very overrated, except the opening combination,” said Gambhir after India beat South Africa 2-1 in the ODI series.
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