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Indian opening batsman Shikhar Dhwan had missed the first two ODIs against West Indies in the ongoing ODI series as he was tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. Ishan Kishan had to open the batting along with skipper Rohit Sharma in the first ODI. In the second match, Indian team did make some experiments with the opening pair as the team management had opted for wicketkeeper Rishabh Pantb as an opening batsman along with Rohit.
Skipper's statment
But while talking about Dhawan’s status, skipper Rohit did confirm that the left-handed batsman “should be back for the next game.”
After recovering from the Covid-19 virus, the third ODI of the series, scheduled to be played on February 11 in Ahmedabad, is going to be Dhawan’s first match. In a situation like this, it was believed that some changes in the squad can hamper team’s winning momentum but Rohit did not seem much bothered about it as he does not “mind losing a few games while trying out a few things.”
“Shikhar should be back for the next game. We don’t mind losing a few games while trying out a few things. Because it is important to look at the long-term goals. We will see what works out well for the team combination for the final ODI,” said Sharma after the 3rd ODI match against West Indies.
A formidable total
Batting first, Indian team had registered a total of 237 runs in 50 overs, losing 9 wickets. KL Rahul scored 49 runs off 48 balls and later Suryakumar Yadav played a terrific innings of 64 runs off 83 balls. While talking about their batting, skipper Rohi appreciated both of them.
"Surya had to take his time and understand what the team wants from him. KL also batted superbly as he is consistently up and down in the order. I have been asked to try something different. We wanted to try it one game. Shikhar should be back for the next game," explained Rohit.
After the completion of the ODI series, both the teams will take on each other in a three-match T20I series, scheduled to be played in Kolkata. The T20I series will start on February 16.
