Guwahati: India captain Virat Kohli Saturday said his side’s middle-order puzzle will be solved if Ambati Rayudu cements his place at the crucial No.4 position in the matches ahead of next year’s World Cup in England.
Kohli said the challenge was only to find someone for the No.4 slot and with Rayudu stepping up for that position in recent times, the batting order was more or less settled.
“The only position we were trying to figure out was number four for a long time. 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,” Kohli said ahead of the first ODI against the West Indies here Sunday.
The only position we were trying to figure out was number four for a long time. With Rayudu playing well in Asia Cup, it’s about giving him enough game time till the World Cup
Virat Kohli
“The team felt there – and I also watched him – that he (Rayudu) is designed to play that middle order batsman’s role. We feel that our middle-order is more or less balanced now,” Kohli said.
Kohli also spoke about young left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed, who has been named as the 12th man for Sunday’s match, and said he doesn’t want to keep any bases uncovered. “He has the ability to swing both ways and get good bounce as well. He also bowls at a decent pace,” Kohli said.
On the other hand, Kohli’s counterpart Jason Holder said, “We expect a really tough challenge from them, but it’s all about building towards the World Cup. We’ve got some youngsters here who we want to see and hopefully they can express themselves and make us proud.”