Ahead of the ongoing five-match ODI series against the Windies, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli clarified that he will be backing Ambati Rayudu to cement his place as India’s No. 4 for the World Cup. And on Monday, Rayudu answered to his captain’s call with a sublime century and apart from that, he has scored 217 runs in the series so far at an average of 70+ with the help of a century and a fifty. Today however, there was no such missed opportunity.
Rayudu partnered Rohit Sharma for a 211-run partnership for the third wicket en route to his third ODI century as India posted a mammoth 377 for 5. They won the game by a humongous margin of 224 runs. Impressed with Rayudu’s effort, Kohli, during the post-match presentation ceremony, was happy to see his decision work well. He said, “Rayudu has taken his opportunity with both hands. We need to back him till that big World Cup and give him more confidence. He is feeling good about his game and he is a very confident man. He reads the game really well, so we are happy that someone with intelligence is batting at number four.”
However, apart from Rayudu, it was a clinical performance from the Indian team. The Windies team crumbled while chasing a daunting target of 378 as they produced a contrasting batting performance, getting bundled out for 153. Top-order failure, suicidal run-outs and a brilliant spell of bowling from the young left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed, who finished with 3 for 13, knocked the stuffing out of the visitors.
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Describing the same, Virat said, “We ticked all the boxes. It was a very clinical game in all three departments. Something that we are very proud of and happy with the fact that we got back into rhythm. Put under pressure by Windies in the last game but we are known to bounce back and it was another example of that. Khaleel is a very exciting talent. If the pitch has something to offer, he can get the best out of it. Today, he really showed his bowling skills by moving it both ways. Pitching it in the right areas, not too full, not too short as well. I was very happy to see him pick up wickets and making the ball talk.”
On the other hand, the Windies skipper Jason Holder acknowledged that his team didn’t play well in the 4th ODI at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai after losing the match by a massive 224-run margin. He also felt that their bowlers let the Indian batsman score way too many runs.
Holder explained, “[We] lost wickets up front, and didn’t bat well enough. Didn’t get enough momentum. Run-outs are something that you don’t want in One day or in any limited overs cricket. You try not to get run-out, you try to build a partnership up front which we never got.”
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The skipper played was the lone warrior as he scored his seventh ODI fifty and remained unbeaten on 54 off 70 deliveries and on being asked whether he will bat up the order in the next game, he said that’s a possibility.
Jason Holder elaborated, “That’s obviously something I have been hearing for a long while. The structure of the team probably needs to be looked at and obviously, I want to get up the order as well. Probably, next game you could see that.”
