Transition or recklessness: How India’s middle-order woes become serious headache

Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel (Source: AFP) 

A couple of years or less than a decade back, there was a notion about the Indian cricket team that they had the world’s strongest and most decorated batting lineup. In the early 2000s, this notion was a reality owing to the brilliant bunch of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, and Virender Sehwag. They graced the Indian middle order in the Tests for a long time, alongside providing long-term stability. 

Furthermore, this bunch was replaced by another stable group of batters, comprising the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, including Rishabh Pant in the later half of the 2010s.  

But there’s been an unexpected and unending instability in the Indian middle-order after the conclusion of the ICC World Test Championship 2023 final against Australia. This concern was initially justified by the management as a bit of concern owing to the transition phase in the teams, as the veterans started hanging their boots in the traditional format of the game. 

But, as the days passed and India still struggling to find stability in the middle, what termed as a ‘bit of concern’ has taken an alarming turn to become an ‘unavoidable headache’ for the management and above that, for the Indian cricket fans. 

Did India ‘miss the bus’ in 2021-23 cycle?

When India lost the ICC World Test Championship 2021 final against New Zealand, it was an start of sunset in the careers of the established and veteran batters. It included the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma. Furthermore, Pujara played his the ICC WTC 2023 final against Australia as the last Test of his career. 

Two years later in 2025, the modern-day batting greats, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hung their boots in the longest format of the game. Their retirements were followed by Pujara calling it a day to his illustrious career. 

Rewinding back to the 2021-23 cycle, it was the time when the Indian team management was supposes decode and understand the 'need of the hour' and find the suitable and long-time replacements for these established batters to execute a smooth transition. But the numbers of Indian middle-order during 2021-23 cycle reflects the negligence and short-sightedness of the Indian think-tank. 

Top five batters to play from no. 3 to 7 for India during 2021-23 cycle (From June 24, 2021 to June 11, 2023)

Virat Kohli happened to be the most-performing batter in the India middle-order during 2021-23 cycle, with 932 runs in 30 innings, with an average of 32.14, hitting three half-centuries and a half-centuries. He was followed by wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who scored 868 runs in 21 innings, averaging 43.40 with five half-centuries and two centuries. Furthermore, Pujara followed Pant, hitting 798 runs in 29 innings, with an average of 30.69, registering five centuries and a century to his name. 

The above-discussed batters are the five leading run-scorers for India in the middle-order from June 24, 2021 to June 11 2023 i.e., from ICC WTC 2021 final to ICC WTC 2023 final. Besides that, what's more notable in this time span was the number of batters India utilized in the middle-order, (from number three to number seven batting positions). 

So, India played 15 batters in the middle order and still failed to scout the like-to-like replacements for the likes of Kohli, Pujara, and Rahane (number sixth in this list of the 15 batters. Not finding a suitable replacements despite knowing that the experienced batters were in the eve of their careers was something that showcase the lack of vision and short-sighted approach while dealing with transition phase. 

Most notable in the list of these 15 players to bat in middle order is that nine batters didn't even play a total of 10 matches, reflecting the management's reshuffling speed. 

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The cost to 2021-23 errors paid since WTC 2023 final

What happened to be the outcomes, or in other words, the repercussions of the Indian think-tank’s errors during the 2021-23 cycle, was the poor outings and dismal performances of the middle-order since the 2023 World Test Championship final. It was clearly visible in the number of reshuffles done to place the batters from number three to number seven. 

Top five batters to play at number three since WTC 2023 final

Unlike the five batters played at number three during the 2021-23 cycle, India have experimented with seven batters at this position since the 2023 World Test Championship final. They have done this experiment despite getting good results with Shubman Gill, who has scored 1,581 runs in 29 innings with a decent average of 38.88, hitting three half-centuries and three centuries. 

The experiments at number three has also drawn a criticism for the Indian management as the difference between Gill and second leading-run scorer at number three, Sai Sudharsan (641 runs in 10 innings) since WTC 2023 final is of 940 runs and 19 innings, which continued to deepen in this list due to the experiments.  

Top five batters to play at number four since WTC 2023 final

Speaking of number four, India have used 12 batters since the 2023 World Test Championship final, which has displayed their inconsistent and illusive approach despite having the satisfactory numbers from Shubman Gill, scoring 1,455 runs in just innings, with a sensational average of 85.36, hitting a half-century and five centuries. Despite Gill’s brilliant performance at number four as well, what has gone wrong in this move for India is that they haven't found any suitable or like-to-like replacement for him at number three. 

This mismanagement of two crucial batting positions, number three and number four has made India pay dearly as it has also impacted the positions from number five to seven during the same time span. 

Top five batters to play at number five since WTC 2023 final

Having Rishabh Pant at the top of this list, India have still used 15 batters at number five within last two and a half years. The surprising stat in this list is that Pant has played 25 matches at number five and the player with the second highest number of matches to play at this position is Shreyas Iyer with just five games. 

Top five batters to play at number six since WTC 2023 final

Top five batters to play at number seven since WTC 2023 final

The same flaws have been reflected, while picking the batters for number six and seven, by playing 11 batters each at both the positions during this phase. India have had to pay a big price for this uncertain approach as they failed to make it to the WTC 2025 final earlier this year after losing a home series 0-3 to New Zealand and a 1-3 debacle in Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia in Australia. 

Conclusion - Points to ponder after drastic decline 

Top five batters to play in the middle order (from number three to seven) since WTC 2023 final - Consolidated

Speaking of the consolidated number of the batters, who have played for India in the middle order (from number three to seven) since the 2023 World Test Championship final, it has gone to 24 from 15 of the WTC 2021-23 cycle. The number five has turned out to be the most reshuffled spot with 15 batters, followed by number four (12). 

What has affected the results for India in this cycle is their uncertain and blind-spot intent to fix two permanent batters at number three and four. The drastic decline, even in the home Test assignments in last 14 months has also been a testimonial to that. It also includes miserable performance in the ongoing two-match Test series against South Africa.

We must remember the fact that there had been transitions in the past but there was also a smooth shift in the ‘batters taking over the batting position from their predecessors’. But what has happened in the last four years can not be masked as a transition to hide the short-sightedness and lack of clarity in decision making.

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