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India's young pacer Arshdeep Singh have strongly backed Virat Kohli after superstar batter's dismal outing with the willow on his highly-anticipated ODI return in the series opener against Australia on October 19. India ended up losing the match by seven wickets in the first ODI in Perth. However, Arshdeep dismissed Kohli's recent failure, saying 'form' is just a word for the veteran batter. Kohli was making his return to the Indian team after a break of more than seven months, but his comeback was marred by an eight-ball duck, his first zero score on Australian soil in ODIs, attempting a flashy drive off Mitchell Starc.
Virat Kohli has played more than 300 ODIs: Arshdeep Singh
The match itself, a rain-curtailed affair in Perth, saw India suffer a seven-wicket defeat via DLS method. The loss allowed Australia to take an early 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
On being asked about the superstar batter's performance, Arshdeep clearly said that Kohli has played more than 300 ODIs for India and he knows how to get going.
“He (Virat Kohli) has played more than 300 ODIs for India, so form is just a word for him, he knows how to get going, and it’s like a blessing to be in the same dressing room with him. Going forward, I feel there’ll be a lot of runs for him in this series as well, and talking about the format he is playing, he has mastered this one,” Arshdeep said at the post-match press conference.
The atmosphere at Optus Stadium on Sunday was electric, as Virat Kohli made his highly anticipated return to international cricket after a 224-day absence. Fans turned out in immense numbers, eager to see the star batter—who stands as the third-highest run-scorer in ODI history—back in action for the Indian side.
However, the much-awaited comeback ended in collective disappointment when Kohli was dismissed for a duck, walking off the field without scoring. This marked the 39th zero score of his career across 551 matches for India. Only two other Indian players, Zaheer Khan (44) and Ishant Sharma (40), have recorded more ducks in international cricket. The overall struggle was reflected in India's batting performance, as they managed to post a lowly total of 136/9 in their 26 overs, a subdued performance largely attributable to effective bowling from the opposition, with Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Owen, and Matthew Kunhemann each claiming two wickets.
Australia were handed a revised target of 131 runs via DLS method, after India were restricted to 136/9 in 26 overs in the rain-shortened match. In reply, sharing the new ball with Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh made an early impact in the Australian chase by dismissing Travis Head for 8. The left-arm seamer bowled an effective spell across his five overs. Although he ultimately claimed only one wicket, Arshdeep was unlucky not to have added a couple more to his name. Despite being a mainstay in the T20I squad, this was only his 10th ODI appearance. Australia completed the chase with 29 balls to spare, thanks to Mitchell Marsh's unbeaten 46.
'Your mindset is attacking at the start, that you have to give wickets to the team'
When later questioned about his approach to bowling in the ODI format, Arshdeep commented:
“The approach is not the same in ODI when compared to T20Is. Your mindset is attacking at the start, that you have to give wickets to the team. But there is a mixture, at the start you have to put on the red-ball lengths, you have to bowl with a little patience, and you have to set the batsman up, whereas in T20s the batsman goes to attack you. And in the last 3-4 overs, you have to bowl with the T20 mindset. I try to adapt as soon as possible, how the other batters are playing, and how much help I am getting from the wickets. So I keep trying to learn, in which format I have to bowl, and what help I am getting on which wicket. So I keep trying to evolve as a player.”
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