The No. 6 makes his mark, and Ramdin's redemption

The No. 6 position is perhaps one of the more difficult to fill in a Test line-up. The first five players have to be specialist batsmen - if they turn their arm over as well, it's a bonus. No. 7 is usually a wicketkeeper, with varying batting skills, while the last four are almost always specialist bowlers, though the ability to wield the willow comes in handy.

What of the No. 6, though? Should he be a specialist batsman, a batsman who bowls reasonably well, or a bowler who bats a bit? (The specialist bowler option rarely comes into play for this position.) Teams have tried different options over the last few years: during the days of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, Australia were happy enough with the quality of their four bowlers to play a specialist batsman at that slot; more recently, though, they've been forced to look at all-round options, with varying degrees of success. England have tried desperately to fit Andrew Flintoff into that role, though his lack of runs has meant the jury is still out on whether that position is a rung too high for him.

Over the last four months, though, more than one team has discovered a talent who could be a long-term answer to his side's No. 6 calls. JP Duminy impressed everyone with his neat technique and ice-cool temperament in Australia, and averages nearly 49 in that position. After struggling with that slot for a while, Australia seem to have found their man in Marcus North, who became the 18th Australian to score a century on debut. Meanwhile, England have struggled more than most at that slot, but Ravi Bopara answered the call in classy fashion in Barbados, even if his runs were scored in extremely batting-friendly conditions.

Tillakaratne Dilshan has contributed mountains of runs as well, and thanks to the efforts of all these players, the No. 6 position has been far more prolific this year than any other this decade. These are admittedly early days yet in 2009, and in nine months' time the picture might be completely different, but so far the No. 6 batsmen have collectively averaged a stunning 53.65 in 2009, more than 15 runs higher than in any other year this decade. What's also impressive so far is their ability to notch up centuries - they've already managed six this year in nine Tests, which is as many as they scored in 49 Tests in all of 2005.

Check out the position-wise batting averages in the table below: the batsmen in positions 5, 6, and 7 all average more than 50, while the openers and the No. 4 batsmen have had a relatively leaner spell. The No. 3s have done all right, though, thanks largely to the prolific form displayed by Younis Khan and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

Ramdin's redemption
Denesh Ramdin was visibly relieved after he got his maiden Test century in Barbados, and he had every reason to be: when he made his debut in 2005, Ramdin was touted as a more-than-handy batsman, but over the last couple of years he did little to justify that notion. It was all the more disappointing, since he had started so brightly: after four Tests he already had two half-centuries and an average of 32. (Click here for his cumulative averages.) After 16 matches, he still averaged an impressive 27.69, but thereafter he slumped: in his next 27 innings he had a highest of 38 and a dismal average of 14.11.

West Indies' lower order has been extremely flaky of late, and a big reason for that has been the non-performance of the wicketkeeper: since 2005, West Indies' wicketkeeper has contributed the least runs among wicketkeepers of all teams, averaging 19.44 before the Barbados Test. Zimbabwe average the highest, thanks to Tatenda Taibu, but most of the other teams have done reasonably well too. West Indies were represented by two wicketkeepers during this period, and Courtney Browne, the other keeper, struggled even more in his six Tests than Ramdin, scoring 124 runs in nine innings. The last West Indian wicketkeeper to score a hundred - before Ramdin did his star turn - was Ridley Jacobs, way back in April 2004, in a match made famous for Brian Lara's unbeaten 400. Little would one have thought that we'd have to wait almost five years, and 45 Tests, to witness the next century.

Tailpiece
Test cricket is supposed to be an even contest between bat and ball, but it hasn't been that way for much of this year. There have been high scores and dull draws aplenty - the average runs per wicket this year is 44.29, significantly higher than in any of the years this decade. Five out of nine matches have been drawn (though this includes the unfortunate Lahore Test), which, in terms of percentage, is again much higher than the previous years. Can we see more Tests like the one between South Africa and Australia in Johannesburg, please?