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Rahane a strong choice to be at No 4: Kohli

India skipper Virat Kohli says Ajinkya Rahane is a strong choice for the No 4 slot in overseas conditions

By Unnikrishnan
Ajinkya Rahane with batting coach Sanjay Bangar

Durban, February 1: Indian skipper Virat Kohli said the experimentation in the middle order will continue though the conditions make Ajinkya Rahane a strong No 4 candidate for the World Cup in England next year.

He also said there is already a core group of players in place, and only the number four spot needs to be sorted out.

"We have explored many options in the last few months. We don't have too many series and too much time left before the World Cup, so we want to explore all the options before the World Cup," Kohli said.

"I had said earlier that Ajinkya Rahane would be looked at as a third opener but that situation can change because he has batted at No. 4 in a World Cup (in 2015) before. These conditions are such that you get to play fast bowling throughout the innings so he becomes a strong candidate for No. 4.

"Other than him we have Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey. We don't want to be one-dimensional. It depends whose technique is more suited to what spot especially in that particular country. All options are open," he said.

The rest of the batting order is more or less sorted, said Kohli.

"Although the lower middle order is more or less sorted, the middle order is something we are still looking at. The combination is working well for us with Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni rotating and batting together.

"No. 4 is something we have experimented with in the last couple of series. That is the only spot I can see that needs to be solidified otherwise the team looks pretty balanced, he said.

Kohli stressed that although the core group of players has been identified already, things could still change in the lead-up to the World Cup.

He also added that there is a need to find balance between preparations and the challenge of current series.

"I feel the core of players is more or less pretty strong at the moment. Obviously changes can happen at any stage. You don't know whether someone is going to be in form or not or what the team requires at certain stages," he said.

Kohli said that the squad has enough quality even if there is some experimentation to be done.

"It is about finding players who fit a particular spot better in certain conditions. That will be our mindset. We will play the World Cup in England, which will be very different to what we get in India.

"People who might be doing well at home might not necessarily repeat their performances in England. Its very different. We will have to figure out which players game suits the team best in particular conditions that we play, at a particular spot.

"I don't think the quality of the team will be compromised in any way regardless of who takes the No.4 position because we have strong batsmen above and below to stabilise the innings," said the skipper.

Talking about the series in question, the Indian skipper said that this would be a tough assignment for India's leg-spinners who are playing in foreign conditions for the first time.

"We are one of the few teams, or probably the only team in world cricket, to be blessed with two wrist-spinners, while Kedar Jadhav is doing the conventional job pretty well for the team. Wrist-spinners help you in any conditions in the world.

"Wrist-spinners can go for six an over but they will pick you three wickets as well, which is eventually the difference in the game, said Kohli.

Story first published: Thursday, February 1, 2018, 14:35 [IST]
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