IND vs AUS | Rohit Sharma should be fit in time for third ODI, believes Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli feels that Rohit Sharma, who was in unbearable pain after landing awkwardly on his shoulder in the 43rd over, should be fit in time for the Bengaluru ODI and reassured that the injury was not major. Kohli has also opined that the 52-ball 80 was the best he's ever seen KL Rahul bat.
When Rohit Sharma, in the 43rd over of the chase, landed awkwardly on his shoulder trying to stop an Ashton Agar strike and went down in pain, it is fair to say that more than a billion people feared the worst. The opener, post his fall, immediately left the field and looked in serious discomfort, with the physio attending to him just outside the boundary line.
However, in what comes as extremely positive news for the players and fans of the Indian team, skipper Virat Kohli, speaking after the match, has confirmed that he spoke to the Mumbaikar after the game and expects him to recover in time for the third ODI in Bengaluru and attested that the injury was a minor one.
"Rohit's left shoulder has popped out of few times, and he should be good to go in the next game," Kohli said of Rohit's injury in the post-match presentation in Rajkot on Friday.
With the hot topic of discussion post the first ODI in Wankhede being the batting position of Kohli, the Indian skipper promoted himself to No.3 today, pushing KL Rahul down to No.5, a move that in the end turned out to be a masterstroke.
Whilst Kohli himself scored a fluent 78, it was the Karnataka man who stole the limelight with an incredible 52-ball 80 to turn the match on its head. The Indian skipper opined that it was the best he's seen Rahul bat and insisted on the importance of having the 27-year-old in the team. Further, Kohli noted that this series is an important one for Dhawan, who again showcased his class scoring a 90-ball 96.
"We live in the days of social media and the panic button was pressed too early. It's important to not leave someone like KL out. You saw how he batted today. This is probably the best he's played at the international level. The knock showed maturity and class, and we know exactly what we're doing in the dressing room.
"Important couple of games for Shikhar. He was injured for a long time and in ODIs he's been one of our most consistent and aggressive performers, and he can change the situation for the team. It augurs well when the two openers are so good together."