The Australian openers, David Warner and Aaron Finch ran through the Indian bowling attack in the first ODI at Wankhede and stitched a record-breaking partnership to helps the visitors to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Apart from having a formidable bowling force, one aspect concerning Team India was the availability of Rishabh Pant for the second ODI at Rajkot.
The wicketkeeper-batsman suffered a concussion after being struck by a bouncer off Pat Cummins on his helmet while getting dismissed in the opening ODI. KL Rahul will be keeping the wickets in Pant’s absence. The Men in Blue have now called up KS Bharat as the back-up wicket-keeper just before the crucial game in Rajkot on Friday.
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Many fans would point a finger to argue that youngsters like Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan should’ve been given an opportunity to get into teh groove. However, both the youngsters are currently involved in India A’s tour of New Zealand. On the other hand, KS Bharat’s Andhra team has no Ranji matches in the upcoming round which is scheduled to start on Sunday.
With Rahul will be donning the wicket-keeper’s gloves in the second ODI at Rajkot, Virat Kohli and his men needed a good back-up keeper if Rahul gets injured. Bharat is considered to be the best option in Tests after Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha. This is the second instance where Bharat has been included as a cover in the national team. He was previously called in as a cover for Wriddhiman Saha in the Day/Night Test against Bangladesh.
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In a First-class career spanning over 74 games, Bharat has scored as many as 4143 runs at an average of 37.66 which made him a crucial cog in the Andhra squad. Although the chances of the 26-year-old getting an opportunity in the playing XI are slim, Bharat can be an excellent back-up option for the Indian side.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli and his troops will be eager to redeem themselves after facing a dominating loss in the first ODI. There are also marginal chances of Kedar Jadhav’s inclusion into the playing XI. The all-rounder’s ability to keep the wickets can also be utilized by the team management along with his batting and bowling skills.
