Yusuf Pathan Can Open The Innings

Yusuf Pathan is a talented batsmen and a natural stroke player. If India continues to play Yusuf Pathan he needs to open the innings along with Sachin Tendulkar till the time either Gautam Gambhir or Virender Sehwag is back in the side. If Yusuf Pathan plays at No. 7 then there is very little chance that he will be able to contribute much with the bat.

Yusuf Pathan is a gifted stroke player like Virender Sehwag. Just like playing Sehwag at No. 6 or No. 7 is not worthwhile, similarly playing Yusuf Pathan at No. 7 will not give him an opportunity to contribute. On the other hand if Yusuf Pathan plays at No. 1 and if he gets going then he will prove quite a handful for the opponents. He like Sehwag is a match winner and piling those runs early at a brisk rate means the middle order can then consolidate.

Players like Yusuf Pathan are inclined to play their natural game. Thus it is important that they are given enough opportunity to make a difference. This can happen only if he opens. It will enable him to get settled for the first couple of overs and then he can quickly get into his natural game and attack the bowling. Plus it makes more sense to allow a batsman of such class to play during the Power Play. With the fielding restrictions on a batsman like Yusuf Pathan can take advantage and easily clear the in field. Yusuf Pathan could actually play the role of Virender Sehwag thus putting pressure on the other side.

It would make more sense to open with Yusuf Pathan rather than Rahul Dravid or Dinesh Karthik. Yusuf Pathan has played 29 matches so far in which he has got a chance to bat in 19 innings. He has a strike rate of just over 100.

Getting Yusuf Pathan to open would also mean less pressure on Sachin Tendulkar to try and increase the run rate and would enable the Master Blaster to settle down and play a long innings.

Let’s hope we can see Yusuf Pathan in the new role of an opener in the Champions Trophy.