Cape Town – Sachin Tendulkar believes wicketkeeper/batsman MS Dhoni must at five for India to have the best chance of winning the upcoming World Cup.
With the top three positions in the batting order settled as openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will be followed by captain and the team’s best batsman Virat Kohli.
The number four slot is a conundrum at the moment in the India team with many saying that veteran Dhoni should occupy the crucial slot to give him more time at the crease.
Tendulkar, however, disagrees and says the 37-year-old Dhoni should walk in at number five to stretch the experience in the batting order.
In an interview with ESPNCricnfo, Tendulkar said: “My personal opinion is Dhoni should be batting five.
“I still don’t know what the team combination would be, but if you are going (with) Rohit and Shikhar as openers, to Virat (Kohli) at No 3 and whoever at No 4 then Dhoni could be No 5.
“Then Hardik Pandya, an explosive player, follows them. That way the experienced batsmen are well spaced out and Dhoni can stretch the game towards the end where he himself can be explosive along with Hardik.”
India open their World Cup campaign with a game against South Africa in Southampton on June 5.
