Indian skipper Virat Kohli came in support of the middle-order batsman Ambati Rayudu, who is looking to cement his spot at the number four position for Team India in ODIs. India has been struggling to find a permanent solution to the number four puzzle for quite a while now. The likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, and Suresh Raina have all been tried and tested in the particular slot but to no avail. With the 2019 World Cup is not too far, Kohli reckons Rayudu has the right amount of experience and skills to be the answer to number four woes.
Ahead of the opening ODI encounter against West Indies in Guwahati, Kohli said the men in blue will get a perfect balance if Rayudu can cement his spot at the number four position. He expressed that Rayudu’s recent performances in the same position have more or less settled the Indian middle order. After missing out on the England tour for not passing the yo-yo test, Ambati was recalled into the side after successfully clearing the fitness test.
During the press conference ahead of the first ODI of the five-match series against the Windies on Sunday, Virat said, “The only position we were trying to figure out was number four for a long time. We tried many players who unfortunately could not capitalize or cement their places in a way we wanted. With Rayudu coming in and playing well in the Asia Cup, it’s about giving him enough game time till the World Cup so that the particular slot will be sorted for us.”
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Rayudu was in sublime form for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League earlier this year and played an instrumental role in leading the MS Dhoni-led side to the title. Playing majorly as an opener, Rayudu amassed a staggering 602 runs at a brilliant average of 43.00 and a superb strike rate of 149.75. Following his memorable outing for CSK, he was rewarded with national call-up but missed out on the bus to England after failing to pass the yo-yo test.
Ambati Rayudu regained his place in the national squad after passing the test and virtually cemented his spot at the number four spot with impressive performances in the Asia Cup 2018. He scored 175 runs in six innings at an average of 43.75 and looks set to be India’s number one choice at number four till the World Cup.
Before the ICC World Cup 2019, Team India will be playing 18 ODIs and the skipper wants to find the right combinations against Windies. Kohli reckons that Rayudu is the right person to solve India’s number four conundrum and wants him to capitalize on the spot. He said that that team management feels that our middle-order is more or less balanced now.
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Virat Kohli elaborated, “We believe he is the right person to capitalize on that spot. He is experienced and has won many games for his state and also in the IPL. He has a great ODI record already for India. I think the batting order is sorted. Now, these 18 games would be to find the perfect combination that we want to take into the World Cup.”
There has been criticism about veteran MS Dhoni’s waning batting ability. But, when asked if he was open to adjusting No. 5, 6, 7 slots, Kohli said: “Here, more often than not people want to create controversies out of nothing. You look at things the way you want to. You see anyone stepping out at number three according to the situation for a side in England. The batting order is always ready, especially after four. The guys below four are always flexible in terms of the situation. You want the best thing for the team. Being flexible is very important.”
Kohli also spoke about young left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed, who has been named as the 12th man for Sunday’s match and said it’s good to see a left-arm pacer after the retirement of Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra.
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Virat said, “We don’t want to leave any bases uncovered. We thought bringing a left-arm pacer into the mix will give us enough variety. He has the ability to swing both ways and get a good bounce as well. He also bowls at a decent pace. It’s always an added luxury to have him (Ahmed) in the team. Definitely, he makes the job easier for Bhuvi and Bumrah.”
India will now lock horns with the Windies in the first ODI of the five-match series on Saturday. After mauling the visitors 2-0 in the Test series, Kohli and co will look to carry the winning momentum into the ODI series.
