Flexibility in the mind and flexibility in the middle order will be key for India to unlock their batting potential at the ODI World Cup, according to their captain Rohit Sharma.
"One thing I want in this team is to make sure everyone is okay to bat anywhere," Rohit said at a press conference to announce India's Asia Cup squad in New Delhi. "That's one thing we need to keep in mind. You need flexibility, guys who can step up at any position. No one should say, 'I'm good at this position or I'm good at that position'. You want guys to be able to bat anywhere, that's the message conveyed to every individual. Not now, but over the last three-four years."
In a sense, Rohit was reiterating the views of former India coach Ravi Shastri, who earlier in the week spoke of no player owning any one position and how even someone as senior as Virat Kohli should drop down to No. 4 if the team combination demanded it.
"I know it's tough for guys on the outside to understand why a guy who bats at six is batting at four, but the message has been given. This is international sport, not club cricket, that you're talking about. It's not like we go to sleep giving a position for a certain player and then change it the next morning.
"We say, 'this is what we want'. You don't want to be handicapped or stuck with one player batting in one position. Having said that, you want to get the best out of players in certain positions. All seven-eight numbers are open to anyone, that's the message we have sent out for so many years now."
Rohit cited Axar Patel's example to emphasise what he meant. He felt Axar is better suited to disrupt the opposition as a floater who can take the game on at any position in the batting unit. Rohit felt this skill gave him the edge over, say R Ashwin or Washington Sundar.
"Where things boil down to is the batting option at No. 8 and 9," Rohit said. "Axar, you know he's had a good run this year, batted well in white-ball cricket. He didn't get much opportunity in red-ball, but played well in white-ball, especially IPL. He had a few opportunities in the West Indies but couldn't make it big, but with him being there, it gives us the option of having a left-hander who can go up the order and play spinners if required, and also create batting depth."
Ajit Agarkar, India's chairman of selectors, further clarified Rohit's views on flexibility.
"Rohit didn't say anyone can play anywhere," Agarkar said. "What he said is a player should be flexible in the mind. A player knows his role, where he's going to play, which over he's likely to bowl. A new-ball bowler will bowl with the new ball, or whether he can bowl in middle overs - those roles are set. But as the game or tournament evolves, you look at someone's form or the team's form, against whom you are playing, players should be flexible in the mind.
"Every captain has a plan that this batter will bat here, and we will play in this specific way, but as the tournament progresses, if someone's form is good, someone is playing well or match-ups dictate playing someone against a certain bowler, we're talking about that kind of flexibility, which is important. That much talent is there in the team. If there's talent that flexibility will come. It doesn't mean role is not specified, roles are specified, you feel comfortable because of that."
At this point, Rohit stepped in to clarify his comments on flexibility and why it shouldn't be taken literally.
"When I said flexibility is important, it's not like I'm implying send the opener at No. 7 or open the batting with Hardik Pandya," Rohit said. "Shikhar [Dhawan] and Rohit have only opened in the last seven-eight years, [Virat] Kohli has batted only at three. Youngsters who come in at four-five, it's important for them to be flexible, batting up and down.
"In the last four-five years if you look, the opener has opened, No. 3 has batted at three, KL [Rahul] has batted five, Hardik six, [Ravindra] Jadeja seven. Four and five, sometimes if they move up and down, there's no problem. That much flexibility is important. Our position too when we came in, we batted up and down, I'm talking of that flexibility. It's not like opener bat at eight and eight opens, we don't do such mad things. Little bit of flexibility up and down is needed in a team."