Kohli hints at Rishabh Pant’s inclusion for 3rd ODI
Indian captain Virat Kohli has hinted at a possible inclusion of Rishabh Pant in the playing XI. Pant, who made his T20I debut against England earlier this year, performed well in the 2017 Indian Premier League and was among the five players in the standby list for the ICC Champions Trophy.
“We’ll sit down and decide as a team about changes that can be made. We’ll go to Antigua and regroup, and that’s a possibility as well, give a few guys an opportunity,” he said.
“I am really happy with the complete performance by the entire team,” said Kohli in reflecting on his side’s supreme effort.
“Missing out on a hundred means nothing to me. It was more important to be getting runs for the team at the end of the innings.
“The partnership between Ajinkya and Shikhar was outstanding, and myself at the back end, with Yuvraj, Dhoni and Kedar chipping in. Early wickets for Bhuvneshwar, and really happy for Kuldeep as well, bowling for the first time and taking three wickets. The bench strength has always been right up there for us,” he added.
Rahane, who was brilliant in the second ODI, said he wanted to take his time as the conditions were damp early on and that helped him in reaching the landmark.
“Really happy with the way I played, even in the first game. Didn’t get an opportunity in the Champions Trophy, and I was hungry. It’s lovely to open with Shikhar. He’s in great form, we understand each other’s game really well. We complement each other. Wicket was slightly damp initially. We wanted to take our time initially, as well as play our shots,” Rahane said.
We will have to wait and see what happens in the third ODI, but India are in a great position to assert dominance. India lead the five match one-day series 1-0 with the first game being washed out.
