Ambati Rayudu would be Virat Kohli's first choice at No.4 in ICC World Cup 2019: Praveen Kumar

New Delhi, Feb 4: Former India pacer Praveen Kumar congratulated Team India for their historic ODI series win over New Zealand and lauded them for their consistently dominating performance in the limited-overs format.

Team India have registered back-to-back overseas ODI series win against Australia and New Zealand and jumped to the second position in the latest ICC Rankings.

While interacting with media persons on the sidelines of an event in Varanasi, the former UP speedster hailed the Men In Blue for their consistency as they are ticking all the boxes correctly in the run-up to the ICC World Cup 2019 in England.

"Team India is doing exceptionally well and the boys are in a great form at the moment. Batsmen are looking in fine touch and the bowlers are looking in sublime form. Our quicks, be it (Mohammed) Shami, Bhuvneshwar (Kumar) and (Jasprit) Bumrah, are looking in ominous form. The spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, bring a lot of variation to the table and that is why we are doing so well in the limited-overs format. These are really good times for Indian cricket.

When asked about Team India's poor batting in the fourth ODI at Hamilton and the second consecutive top-order collapse in the fifth ODI against the New Zealand, the former pacer said it was just one of those bad days and rued everyone wants the team to play well all the time, which isn't possible.

"We media persons, since I too sit on a news channel, want Team India to play well and win all the time. Losing games helps the team to introspect and improve in the areas concerned, so in a way even defeats help us get better. Wins and losses are part and parcel of the game.

"When the top-order fails, then the middle order rises to the occasion, and at times when the middle-order perishes, then the lower-order takes up the responsibility. It's an ongoing process and that's how a team game is played. Just like life, which is full of ups and downs, the game of cricket is exactly the same. We need to learn from our mistakes and strive to get better."

The Meerut-based cricketer also lauded Ambati Rayudu's match-winning knock of 90 in the fifth ODI and said that he'll be captain Virat Kohli's first-choice at No. 4 in the ICC World Cup 2019, scheduled in England this summer.

"(Ambati) Rayudu played very well and this knock would boost the confidence of the player as well as the team management. I hope he keeps himself fit for he's going to be Virat's first choice batsman at No. 4 in the World Cup," opined Kumar.

"We are playing a good positive brand of cricket. The coaches, as well as, the team are doing a great job together and if they maintain this consistency then we are going to have a memorable outing in the World Cup," he signed off.