Dhoni has no place up in top-order: Gavaskar by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:	SM Gavaskar, MS Dhoni
Event:	Australia in India 2009/10

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DateLine: 31st October 2009

 

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar joined the debate on Mahendra Singh Dhoni's batting position, saying that current skipper has no place in the top order of the star-studded Indian line-up.

 

With the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh in the Indian ranks, Dhoni had said it was natural he should bat at number five and Gavaskar agreed with it.

 

"I think he (Dhoni) has no place in the top order. You have Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar at the top and Gautam Gambhir comes next. Yuvraj Singh is at his best at number four and so Dhoni comes after him," Gavaskar said here.

 

"The important thing about the debate was good players should face more overs and he (Dhoni) was batting as a floater for some time. And I think he will bat according to the situation," he said.

 

Gavaskar also felt that former captain Rahul Dravid got the axe in the one-day series against Australia as he had got into the Sri Lanka and Champions Trophy squad as cover for Sehwag, who was injured then.

 

"Dravid was in the Champions Trophy squad as a cover for Sehwag as the selectors wanted a senior player as replacement.

 

Once Sehwag recovered the selectors dropped him. Moreover, Yuvraj, who was injured in South Africa before the Champions Trophy, also recovered and Dravid had no place in the team," he added.