"Allowed To Experiment A Bit": Virat Kohli On Batting At No.4 After Crushing Loss To Australia

[MenInG]

"Allowed To Experiment A Bit": Virat Kohli On Batting At No.4 After Crushing Loss To Australia

Virat Kohli failed to impress with the willow at the number four position as India suffered a 10-wicket loss to Australia in the first One-day International of the three-match series in Mumbai on Tuesday. It was Australia's biggest ever ODI victory over India, by margin of wickets. Captain Virat Kohli, who lost his wicket for 16 runs, wasn't shy in admitting that his decision to bat at number four didn't work in India's favour, but added that he is "allowed to experiment a bit".

Kohli, who usually bats at number three, dropped himself to four to fit in KL Rahul in the batting order. Rahul scored 47 runs off 61 balls, including four boundaries, but failed to convert it into a big score.

"We've had this discussion many times in the past as well, due to the way KL has been batting. We've tried to fit him into the team," Kohli said at the post-match presentation.

"Having said that, it hasn't gone our way when I have batted at no.4, so we have to see how it goes. At the same time, it's about giving opportunities to the other guys. People need not panic for just this one game. I think I am allowed to experiment a bit," he added.

After being asked to bat, India rode on Shikhar Dhawan's 74-run knock before folding for 255 in 49.1 overs.

Australia came to chase with an attacking mindset as both their openers David Warner and Aaron Finch smashed a century each to help Australia chase down the target with 74 balls to spare.

"We were totally outplayed in all departments. It's a strong Australian team, if you don't play well, they could hurt you," the Indian skipper said.

"We saw that with the bat in hand. We didn't get enough runs. I thought we were too respectful at certain phases and it cost us. Can't do that against a team like Australia," he added.

Australia are 1-0 up in the series but Kohli is hoping to "bounce back" in the second ODI in Rajkot on Friday.

"This is a chance for the team to bounce back but as I said, credit to Australia today. Today was one of those days when we weren't allowed to get into the game at all," Kohli said.

The third and final ODI will be played in Bengaluru on Sunday.

https://sports.ndtv.com/india-vs-au...a-bit-after-batting-changes-fall-flat-2164121

 

[barah_admi]

A 10-wicket loss for a team that is supposedly best ever...

 

[MenInG]

Dont think even opening would have mattered - Australia on a different planet at the moment.

 

[ind_win]

kohli as Odi captain is totally different from kohli the test captain.
In tests too, till SA tour lost match he was not that great overseas.
The Aus tour, thanks to pujara and bumra heroics, made him the never before captain of India. As winning in Australia is extraordinary and first for a SC team.
Hope he gets rid of the headstrong attitude which India cost CT and listens to good advisers.

 

[shamaan]

Austrlia are a class apart they play the best brand after england

 

[ind_win]

kohli as Odi captain is totally different from kohli the test captain.
In tests too, till SA tour lost match he was not that great overseas.
The Aus tour, thanks to pujara and bumra heroics, made him the never before captain of India. As winning in Australia is extraordinary and first for a SC team.
Hope he gets rid of the headstrong attitude which India cost CT and listens to good advisers.

+ attitude which cost India wc 2019 too with bad selections (they could have reached Finals easily and who knows might have had a chance of winning it too.)t

 

[andy0204]

+ attitude which cost India wc 2019 too with bad selections (they could have reached Finals easily and who knows might have had a chance of winning it too.)t

Add mindless selections as well.

 

[MenInG]

Former India cricketer VVS Laxman was critical of skipper Virat Kohli coming to bat at number four in the first ODI of three match series against Australia at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday. India suffered their heaviest defeat at the hands of Australia as they were thrashed by 10 wickets, courtesy of a record partnership between captain Aaron Finch and David Warner. After the end of the match, Laxman told the official broadcasters that Kohli coming at number four won’t work as team’s best batsman should play maximum number of deliveries.

“I don’t see this working,” Laxman told Star Sports after the end of the match. “Sachin Tendulkar was the best player the world had ever seen. But he never relished batting at number four.”

“You want your best batsman to play maximum number of deliveries and set the game up and finish the game for the team, especially against quality attack. One cannot afford to experiment against this Australian bowling line-up.

“I know you want to play KL Rahul because of his form and you also want to play Shikhar Dhawan because of his experience. But in ODIs, you have to play Rahul at number four. Virat Kohli has to bat at number three and set the game and finish the innings,” he added.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden, who was sitting beside Laxman during the show, also felt the same and he stated that somebody with 10,000+ runs at number three should continue to bat at the that position.

“You’ve got someone like Virat Kohli that has played 230-odd one-day matches and 180 of those have been at No.3 and he has scored almost 10,000 runs at that particular position”, Hayden said.

During the post-match presentation, skipper Kohli also conceded that the decision to tinker with the batting order in the first ODI ‘didnt go their way’ and they might have to rethink their strategy in the next match.

“We’ve had this discussion many times in the past as well, due to the way KL has been batting. We’ve tried to fit him into the team. Having said that, it hasn’t gone our way when I have batted at no.4, we might have to rethink about this. So we have to see how it goes,” Kohli said.

“At the same time, it’s about giving opportunities to the other guys. People need not panic for just this one game. I think I am allowed to experiment a bit.”

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...-won-t-work/story-zL47rmZTNEbnnuXIhvUmgM.html

 

[tyron_woodley]

Austrlia are a class apart they play the best brand after england

yea on conplete flat pattas.

 

[Mean&Green]

Somehow Indians need to start appreciating the other oppositions as Well. They somehow think they are invincible and every loss they suffer is just a bad day. They need to admit the fact Australia outplayed them not only today but they were in my opinion the better team on paper as well. India is a very top order heavy side which they messed up by playing around thinking they were playing a weak team. Indians keep saying the bad 20 minutes in semi final cost them the World Cup but the truth is those 20 minutes exposed the true India which doesn’t have a middle order at all. If those 20 minutes had happened with peak raina and yuvraj in the side it would have been different. India are probably the third best odi side if not tied with Australia as the second best they need to stop thinking they are unbeatable and fix their middle order.

 

[Ab Fan]

Somehow Indians need to start appreciating the other oppositions as Well. They somehow think they are invincible and every loss they suffer is just a bad day. They need to admit the fact Australia outplayed them not only today but they were in my opinion the better team on paper as well. India is a very top order heavy side which they messed up by playing around thinking they were playing a weak team. Indians keep saying the bad 20 minutes in semi final cost them the World Cup but the truth is those 20 minutes exposed the true India which doesn’t have a middle order at all. If those 20 minutes had happened with peak raina and yuvraj in the side it would have been different. India are probably the third best odi side if not tied with Australia as the second best they need to stop thinking they are unbeatable and fix their middle order.

In tests, India had been invincible from past 4 years. Let's see can Australia challenge us now?

 

[tyron_woodley]

Somehow Indians need to start appreciating the other oppositions as Well. They somehow think they are invincible and every loss they suffer is just a bad day. They need to admit the fact Australia outplayed them not only today but they were in my opinion the better team on paper as well. India is a very top order heavy side which they messed up by playing around thinking they were playing a weak team. Indians keep saying the bad 20 minutes in semi final cost them the World Cup but the truth is those 20 minutes exposed the true India which doesn’t have a middle order at all. If those 20 minutes had happened with peak raina and yuvraj in the side it would have been different. India are probably the third best odi side if not tied with Australia as the second best they need to stop thinking they are unbeatable and fix their middle order.

it's just bilateral jamodi. not the world cup or champions trophy.

 

[Hasan123]

Kohli should stay at 3. They just have to bite the bullet and make a choice between KL and Dhwaan.

 

[Varun]

Why does that test reject KL Rahul get so much importance that Kohli has to bounce around the line-up for him anyway?

 

[MenInG]

Why does that test reject KL Rahul get so much importance that Kohli has to bounce around the line-up for him anyway?

Because India cannot be a one man team - others need to step up and Rahul isnt that bad an option

 

[tyron_woodley]

Because India cannot be a one man team - others need to step up and Rahul isnt that bad an option

he is awful. he is a wastrel in tests
wastrel in odi.
good in t20 pyjama league.

india have far better players than this idiot who gets in through recommendation.

Rahul, iyer, thakur are all dud cannon fodders. gill, pandey/parag or hell even dubey and saini should have played.

Anyway it doesn't matter. Kohli will continue to play his favourites. As long as he doesn't mess up the test selections I don't care.

 

[Hyperion66]

Because India cannot be a one man team - others need to step up and Rahul isnt that bad an option

Well said.

 

[Hyperion66]

Even the greatest of teams can have a bad day once in s while, I fully expect us to come firing on all cylinders the next match. Credit to the Aussies, outplayed us completely. We were complacent and paid the price

 

[Hyperion66]

I do not mind experimenting, but toying with the position of the best batsman of this generation is at big no no. Rahul needs to bat at 4 with clear instructions to take the attack to the opposition, we can't afford our entire top order trying to preserve wicket and batting safe.

 

[Usman Chadda]

KL Rahul will keep disappointing him, that's just how it is. To disturb the batting order for an ordinary player is foolish.

 

[Mobashir]

People are reacting like India lost the match only because Rahul batted at 3 yesterday. Kohli did nothing himself yesterday, it's not like you can't win a match from number 4 with 20+ overs remaining.

 

[Mamoon]

India have to take a harsh call on Dhawan. He is a fabulous opener and still more than good enough, but he will be 36/37 in 2023.

India and England are the two clear favorites for the next World Cup, and India shouldn’t let an aging player jeopardize their quest to win the World Cup at home.

Let Rahul, Shaw and Gill fight it out for the opening slot.

The greatest ODI batsman of all time should continue to bat at 3.

 

[AFM]

What ever happened to Shaw? He can’t still be injured

 

[tyron_woodley]

What ever happened to Shaw? He can’t still be injured

he is injured. he will be back.

gill will be in.

parag will be in.

India will be fine. Kohli is the only one that's ruining the odi team now with his stupid selections

 

[sharmaji]

Absolutely agree with you. We in India never like to accept our limitations. It'd be better if we acknowledge that it is not a one-off day and it is an ongoing thing that we cannot find solid 4,5,6,7 batsmen who can score at a healthy SR. We will continue to win matches as long as the top 3 perform. The day they don't, we will lose as evidenced in CT 2017 and WC 2019. And no, Hardik Pandya is not a solution, he is a bits and pieces player who is neither good with ball nor with bat. And Virat coming in at 4 to accommodate KL is not a solution either. We need solid middle order and lower order batsmen. Virat should come out of this delusion that it was just 20 minutes of madness that ruined our WC campaign. No it wasn't. Our middle order and lower order batting was mediocre, and it was just a ticking time-bomb that had to go off when Rohit or Virat fail. But with the arrogance that this team management has, I don't see any change in their attitude towards losses. I am sure that if in the next two matches if Rohit or Virat fire(which they very likely could, they are world class batsmen ofcourse), everything will be forgotten and the cycle will continue.

Somehow Indians need to start appreciating the other oppositions as Well. They somehow think they are invincible and every loss they suffer is just a bad day. They need to admit the fact Australia outplayed them not only today but they were in my opinion the better team on paper as well. India is a very top order heavy side which they messed up by playing around thinking they were playing a weak team. Indians keep saying the bad 20 minutes in semi final cost them the World Cup but the truth is those 20 minutes exposed the true India which doesn’t have a middle order at all. If those 20 minutes had happened with peak raina and yuvraj in the side it would have been different. India are probably the third best odi side if not tied with Australia as the second best they need to stop thinking they are unbeatable and fix their middle order.