Who would have thought that four years after his retirement, Sourav Ganguly would be India's most irreplaceable Test batsman?
Cheteshwar Pujara made the No 3 position his, almost immediately after Rahul Dravid bid adieu, and Virat Kohli stepped it up at No 5 not long since VVS Laxman called it quits.
However, the No 6 spot has been up for grabs since 2008 with Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, S Badrinath, MS Dhoni, and even Pujara and Kohli, having had a go.
Dhoni currently occupies No 6 even though he is reportedly keeping it warm for Ravindra Jadeja until he evolves into a proper middle-order batsman.
Reason? The India captain wants an all-rounder in the side for balance and sees Jadeja's immense potential.
But the problem is while Jadeja has improved tremendously as a left-arm spinner capable of taking wickets, his batting continues to be a worry. In six Test innings, he has scored just 97 runs. More worrisome, he has not looked comfortable against the quality attacks of England or Australia.
So whether he can perform on the bouncy pitches of South Africa in December-January is questionable.
Harsha Bhogle, the television commentator, wrote in his ESPN column that Dhoni should promote Jadeja to No 6 in Tests right away so he can start to think like a No 6 batsman.
"Players tend to bat in a manner that the batting number dictates," he wrote. "If you push a batsman to No 8 or 9, he will start batting like a No 8 or 9."
That move is easier said than done given the left-hander will be facing Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Jacques Kallis.
And Bhogle does not mention that the No 6 is a specialist position allotted to players with the temperament to shift gears when required, and who crucially have the maturity to bat alongside tailenders. The few outings he has had in limited-overs cricket shows Jadeja can smack the ball around, but he does not have technique nor staying power.
That is why the two upcoming four-day Tests between India 'A' and their South African counterparts is attracting interest in the subcontinent.
The Pujara-led touring party has five potential No 6 batsmen – including Raina himself – who all are young but seasoned campaigners ready to be tested in alien conditions.
Rohit Sharma, long touted as India's next great batsman, has played in 102 ODIs and 35 T20s, but has yet to feature in a Test largely because of a tendency to throw his wicket away. That is also the problem with Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit's Mumbai teammate, who disappointed on his long-form debut against Australia in Delhi this year.
They are both exceptional strokemakers, though, with the ability to turn a game around.
As for Raina, the left-hander continues to struggle with short-pitched bowling, but has experience to draw from and has a desire to not be bracketed as a limited-overs specialist, such as in Yuvraj's case. Dinesh Karthik, the wicketkeeper, has grown into a specialist batsman with the patience to craft a long essay. And then there's Ambati Rayudu, who is finally coming to terms with his brilliance and making it count.
India's selectors are yet to zero in on No 6 in all these years, but clearly, the options are there.
ckadalayil@thenational.ae
Follow us
@SprtNationalUAE
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees
Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme
Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks
Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
SUZUME
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Makoto%20Shinkai%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Nanoka%20Hara%2C%20Hokuto%20Matsumura%2C%20Eri%20Fukatsu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Brighton, Sunday, 6pm UAE
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m.
5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m.
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
Schedule:
Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
