Pant set for debut as India eye ‘perfect combination’
GUWAHATI ODI Having won the Tests 20, hosts expect some fight from Windies in fivematch series GUWAHATI:
Against world No. 9 West Indies, who had to go through the qualifiers for 2019 World Cup, world No. 1 India begin their final round of preparation for next year’s showpiece event hoping to fix whatever anomalies there may be. The two play the first of the five ODIs here at the Bhupen Hazarika Stadium here on Sunday.
According to skipper Virat Kohli, things are hunky dory with just the No. 4 batting spot a point of bother. Perhaps an equal cause of worry is the lack of a strong finisher.
India have tried many batsmen at No. 4, with the latest entrant in the spot likely to be Ambati Rayudu who last played in that slot in 2014. A month back, he played the Asia Cup at No. 3 and also as opener. His record at the continental event wasn’t exceptional though he managed a couple of half-centuries against weaklings Afghanistan and Hong Kong.
Kohli admitted that the position has caused worry. “The only position we were trying to figure for a long time was No. 4 and we tried many players who unfortunately could not be capitalise or cement the slot in the way we wanted,” he said.
“We were looking at Rayudu for England but some guidelines had to be followed because of which he couldn’t make it. He made it to the Asia Cup and the team felt that he is designed to play that middle-order role. He is experienced, won many games for his state and has a great oneday record.”
Rayudu couldn’t make it to the squad for England having failed India won Total matches Tied
No result to clear the YoYo test. The man who replaced him for England, Suresh Raina, however, is not there in the squad anymore.
PERFECT COMBINATION The hosts have 18 more games before the World Cup. “The batting is more or less balanced now and these 18 games would be to get the perfect combination that we want to take into the World Cup. All games together, barring injuries or niggles, we want one combination to play through and through. Apart from bowlers resting here or there, we only changed the No. 4 slot because we wanted somebody to cement it,” the captain said.
The squad of 12 for the first one-dayer that the team management mentioned has four specialist batsmen, and two wicketkeepers in MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant. The rest are bowlers. Pant’s inclusion could also mean that he gets a shot in the lower middle-order being an aggressive batsman, who can go after the bowling.
SEARCH FOR FINISHER
India have struggled to find finishers and power-hitters of late and it was evident in the tied game against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup.
That is where India lags behind a team like England which has plenty of hard-hitters and has flexibility in its line-up.
This hasn’t been lost on Kohli who feels India should model its batting on the lines of England. “A side like England, you see anyone stepping out at No. 3 according to the situation. If you’re looking forward as a team, if I have to bat at No. 5 and the openers bat till the 30th over, you send someone who can do a better job than me. In T20 cricket you do that all the time. You’d want a consistent batting line up. But if there is a situation if it’s 40 overs and you’re only two down, someone who can capitalise those next 4-5 overs better will step in. As a team we understand that and the batting order is always ready. The guys below four are always flexible.”
WI won