At 18/4 against New Zealand on Saturday, the Indian middle-order was under immense scrutiny. With the World Cup round the corner the gaps in the Indian batting line-up have been the topic of discussion for a while and the astonishing 92 all out two days before at Hamilton helped to add to the sense of unease.
But in Wellington, Ambati Rayudu answered all those questions with an emphatic 90 that all but finished the No. 4 debate for now.
Openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan might have had the odd failure in Australia and New Zealand, but there's absolutely no doubt about their spots. With Virat Kohli at No. 3 and MS Dhoni at 5 being certainties, the talk has invariably centered around No. 4 and 6.
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While Rayudu's Wellington innings has done him a great favour, Kedar Jadhav, with his ability to bowl off-spin with a slinging action and score those crucial runs under pressure, is well ahead in the No. 6 race.
But the World Cup is a long haul, more so in England, where the ball will move around. So even if India go for Rayudu and Kedar at No. 4 and 6, some back-up is imperative. "The World Cup is some distance away and the team management has its own thoughts. But yes, back-up is a must," former chairman of selectors Kiran More told TOI.
While the ex-India stumper didn't specify who his preferred back-up was, his former teammate Dilip Vengsarkar was more categorical. The former middle order stalwart feels conditions in England demand proper batsmanship and Ajinkya Rahane should be the one who should be in that 15-member squad for World Cup.
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"I am not saying Rahane has to be played in every game. But you need a batsman who knows how to deal with conditions there and Rahane is the perfect fit," Vengsarkar said.
Rahane, though, hasn't been in India's ODI scheme of things for a while now, but Vengsarkar feels the home series against Australia can be the opportunity to try him out. "He can come in at any slot, Rahane gives you options," Vengsarkar added.
During the five-match ODI series against Australia, India were struggling a little bit with the No. 7 all-rounder's slot. Hardik Pandya was serving a ban and Vijay Shankar, who had come in his place, lacked the explosive quality of the Mumbai man.
But BCCI was judicious enough to send Pandya to New Zealand and in Wellington, his 22-ball 45 coupled with a valuable 2-50, showed that there is no replacement for him at the moment.
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But there is a case for a backup in the all-rounder's slot and many feel Ravindra Jadeja should be the preferred option. The fact that he can be the third spinner - in addition to Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav - strengthens Jadeja's case.
But Vengsarkar believes India should think of Vijay Shankar for that slot. "You have Kedar who can bowl a bit of spin. I don't think we need another spinner in the squad. The little bit that I have seen of Vijay Shankar, he looks an accomplished batsman and his bowling can be ideal for English conditions," Vengsarkar said.
The twin ODI series of Australia and New Zealand has seen a rejuvenated Mohammad Shami, who has been the stand-out bowler for India. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has that air of reliability around him while a well-rested Jaspreet Bumrah will be back for the home leg against Australia.
Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed and Mohammad Siraj are also in the mix, but both went for runs in the limited opportunities that they got in the two series. In such a scenario, Umesh Yadav's name may well crop up in the discussions and Vengsarkar feels it won't be without reason.
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"Umesh has been so good in Ranji Trophy and has been part of the Indian set-up for a while now. I don't see any reason to drop him from the World Cup squad," the former captain said.
There's another slot - that of the second wicketkeeper - that is also a point of discussion. For a while, the team management has persisted with Dinesh Karthik and the Tamil Nadu man played a couple of crucial hands in the few chances that he got in Australia and New Zealand.
Definitely the one for the future, there's a strong case for Rishabh Pant with his left-handed utility but for now Karthik seems to be ahead in the race as the gloveman option.