IND vs AUS | Good to have dilemma on opening slot, says Vikram Rathour
India's batting coach Vikram Rathour has reckoned that it is good for the side to have a dilemma regarding the two players for the opening slot between Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Shikhar Dhawan. Rathour added that a win in the ODI series against Australia will be good for the team’s confidence.
As India gear up to welcome the Aussies for a three-match series next week, the selection committee has some decisions to make. Although the Men in Blue are a top-heavy batting side, their batting coach Rathour looks at this spoilt-for-choice nature as a positive influence.
While Rohit was, arguably, the best opening batsman across formats in 2019, Rahul has been scoring consistently in the white-ball formats. Though he had been struggling to find his touch during several injury-laden months, Dhawan made a positive comeback into the side with a quickfire fifty in the third T20I against Sri Lanka.
"It's a good dilemma to have. Rohit is an obvious choice of course. Both of them (Shikhar and Rahul) are playing well. Shikhar has done well in one-dayers and Rahul is in great form. So we'll deal with it when we have to. There are still a couple of days to go. The management will sit down and make a choice," Rathour was quoted as saying by PTI.
The Australia series starts in Mumbai on January 14, before moving to Rajkot for the second ODI on January 17 and the third in Bengaluru on January 19. While an ODI series may not be as crucial to India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup later this year, Rathour reckons that a win against one of the best teams will be a major boost of confidence.
“It's a different format and cricket is a game of confidence. So as a batter and bowler, especially when you are playing against a team like Australia, who are one of the better teams in the world, performances do make a difference. It gives you a lot of confidence. We'll take it as any other series and playing against one of the better sides in the world, we are looking to do well as a team, looking to perform and win if possible," Rathour added.
