Team India struggled with the bat in the second ODI of the series against the West Indies in Barbados, finally losing by six wickets. While the decision to rest skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the game garnered much criticism on social media, the team management was not helped when batters were brought out in an unusual order during the game. While Sanju Samson batted third after making his comeback to the ODI team in January, Axar Patel batted fourth. Suryakumar Yadav, who normally bats in the aforementioned roles, was put in at number six.
India’s batting order adjustment did not work, as the team was bowled out for 181 despite a 90-run opening combination between Ishan Kishan (55) and Shubman Gill (34). The squad management was scrutinized, as expected, and former India selector Saba Karim wasn’t thrilled with what he saw in the middle.
The former India wicketkeeper, who is an expert on JioCinema for the series, noted that there is confusion in the Indian team’s duties and that key players resting with only a few months until the ODI World Cup is not an ideal condition.
“The regular players, too, require time to prepare for these challenges.” At number four, you’re hoping to see Shreyas Iyer, but he’ll need some time to warm up. Who is your backup in that situation? Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, or Sanju Samson, is it? Because if they are, you must construct the batting order accordingly. Batting first was a challenge for us, and it was fortunate that we had the opportunity today, but it would have been ideal if we had the right batting order,” Karim remarked during a studio segment following a rain break in Barbado.
“How come Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli aren’t playing?” What’s the point of bringing them along if they’re not going to play? Why not bring in new faces? “Ideally, they should be playing because the World Cup is approaching, and you don’t have much time left,” Karim added.
India’s batting lineup is missing KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, both of whom are essential members of the ODI team. When Rahul recovers, he is likely to take over as wicketkeeper; as a result, the decision to rest Rohit and Kohli, both of whom are surely going to be in the main XI come the World Cup, raised eyebrows.
The internet is buzzing about Virat Kohli’s noble act of carrying drinks after being benched for the second WI ODI.
While Virat Kohli did not bat in the first ODI against the West Indies, he chose to relax alongside captain Rohit Sharma and let other batsmen take center stage in the second. India’s innings did not go as planned, with only Ishan Kishan scoring a half-century, while Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav could only get starts. Other players vying for slots in the lineup, like Sanju Samson and Axar Patel, failed to impress, and India was defeated by six wickets.
Despite reaching 90/0 in the 17th over, India batted first and was all out for 181 runs in 41 overs. Kohli was not completely absent from the action, however. During the Indian innings, he was seen carrying drinks with Yuzvendra Chahal. After the 37th over, when Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav were at the crease, the former skipper was spotted doing so.
When Kohli has been a member of the squad but has not played, he is frequently seen carrying beverages. Notably, he did so during the 2017 Dharamsala Test match between India and Australia, during which he was captain. After Kohli sat out with an injury, Ajinkya Rahane took over as captain.
Although the West Indies only had a goal of 182 to chase, it wasn’t an easy task, as they relied on captain Shai Hope to top score once again. Kyle Mayers got them off to a fast start in the chase, scoring 36 off 28 balls to enable the hosts to reach 53 in 8.1 overs. However, his departure caused a brief collapse for the West Indies before Hope found a capable partner in Keacy Carty. The pair put up an unbeaten 91-run fifth-wicket stand to lead the West Indies to victory. Hope finished with a score of 63 out of 80.
Hope had hit 43 runs off 45 balls in the first ODI as the West Indies were bowled out for 114 runs. Rohit and Kohli chose to play as low as possible in the order, but the former was forced to bat at No. 7 as India lost half their batting lineup for 97 runs. The winning runs were eventually achieved by Rohit, but it was not to be for India on Saturday. It remains to be seen if they will continue to experiment with the group for the crucial third ODI or field their strongest lineup.
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