After having lost the fourth One Day International against Australia, India made some changes in their playing XI. India registered the victories in the first two games while Australia bounced back in the next two matches. Hence, the decider match is being played at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. After being left out from the first three matches, KL Rahul was included in the playing XI for the fourth ODI. Rahul scored a 31-ball 26 which included only one boundary.
Rahul walked into bat at No 3 in Mohali and scored a mere 26 off 31 balls. The score didn’t show much impact for him to get selected in the playing XI for the final game. However, along with him, Yuzvendra Chahal too has been replaced. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami have been included in the team in place of them. While India made two changes in their side, Australia too replaced Shaun Marsh and Jason Behrendroff with Marcus Stoinis and Nathan Lyon in their playing XI.
In the final game, Australia has won the toss and elected to bat first. Usman Khawaja’s century and Peter Handscomb’s half-century helped them to put up 272-9 after 50 overs.
Read here: Shastri feels Pandya and Rahul needed “Rap on their knuckles”
Meanwhile, Here is how Twitterati reacted on KL Rahul’s exclusion from the game:
Yuzvendra Chahal and KL Rahul out from playing XI… And Virat Kohli feels … It is the most balance Indian side.
Interesting.. views?? #indvsaus— 🇳🇵जय नेपाल 🇳🇵 (@santoshpokhreli) March 13, 2019
ground is small and flat and we are playing with Jadeja, why ?, he can't bat and can't take wickets he's only good in fielding, chahal should've been in this match, i don't remember when did KL Rahul play three odi continously #INDvAUS #INDvsAUS #5thODI
— Amar Rana (@AmarUtd8) March 13, 2019
@_rroy
Interesting to see Vijay Shankar at no. 4 but feel for kl Rahul should have got another opportunity— JatinArora:HISAR (@JatinaroraH) March 13, 2019
Again KL Rahul Misses out.. this is why no one sustains with the Kohli decision.. definitely should have given a chance to Rahul 🤨
— Deepak Reddy (@DeepuPJ4) March 13, 2019
Shouldn't KL Rahul be given more chances if he is being looked as a 3rd opener? @StarSportsIndia @cricketaakash @IrfanPathan
— Madhav Katyal (@Katyal_madhav) March 13, 2019
https://twitter.com/nanuramu/status/1105734909941813248?s=20
Also read: Unlucky Dismissal For Pat Cummins In Delhi