Should Sachin Tendulkar continue to open for Team India?

Should the highly-successful Sehwag-Gambhir opening combine continue to make way for Tendulkar in ODIs? Tendulkar's record speaks for itself, but keeping the 2011 World Cup in mind, which opening combination best synergises the needs of Team India?

In Tests, ODIs and the T20 game, the left-right pair of Sehwag and Gambhir have courted success by relying on the same basic principle: their instinctive feel for a run while batting together. Both are attacking batsmen who complement each other, are adept at the big hits and the gap-piercing taps, and each can play efficient second fiddle if the other is having a better day.

This ability to rotate strike with ease has been their standout feature, with the left-right combine unsettling bowlers' lines and ensuring excellent platforms for the middle-order to capitalize on. Besides, in the last 11 ODIs, they have averaged 69.

Former Test cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad, for one, believes Tendulkar should now bat lower down. "Looking at the future, it's a no-brainer," he suggests, "There is no point disturbing Sehwag and Gambhir because they're the best openers in the world now.

"Sachin can bat anywhere, preferably at No.4, his Test slot. Yuvraj can come in at No.5, and Suresh Raina at No.3 can keep the left-right combine going. We have had opening problems historically and now we have an answer. Why mess with it?"

Even though he appeared rusty in Bangalore, Tendulkar has almost copyrighted the opening slot over the years, having scored 38 of his 42 tons at No. 1 or 2. He has also forged an intimidating partnership with Sehwag. Age hasn't withered his ability to fashion an ODI innings or make a quick switch between formats, as the triseries Down Under showed. Crucially, the Sehwag-Gambhir pair hasn't really been tested in trying conditions yet.

"Sachin should open," feels ex-skipper and former chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar, "He has made all his runs at the top. In conditions where the ball is doing something, it's risky to play Gambhir. The Sachin-Sehwag pair is more formidable."

Gaekwad disagrees: "If it's risky playing Gambhir in seaming conditions then what good is he at No.3? If Gambhir plays, he should open."

What, then, is the pragmatic solution? "Gambhir only came in because Sachin was injured in Sri Lanka. The decision should be left to Sachin," says former opener Chetan Chauhan, "The captain should have a chat if things don't work out. If Sachin feels he is disturbing a steady pair, he will himself opt to bat lower down. He only has a few years left and India must play him where he is comfortable. Sachin cannot be a finisher. He must bat for at least half an ODI innings."

Being spoilt for choice is one thing, but if you're MS Dhoni, right now this decision isn't an easy one to make.