India white-ball skipper Rohit Sharma stated that the experiment to try Rishabh Pant as an opener was one-off and it’s not a permanent thing as Shikhar Dhawan is likely to come back in the 3rd ODI on Friday. On Thursday India wrapped up the series by 2-0 with one match to go as they beat the visitors by 44 runs.
After winning the toss, West Indies invited India to bat first and the hosts could post a total of only 237/9 in 50 overs. But the West Indies batting lineup struggled against the pace and bounce of the Indian attack led by Prasidh Krishna. Despite some handy contributions down the order, the visitors fell short by 44 runs to concede the series.
“Shikhar Dhawan should be back for the next game”- Rohit Sharma
Skipper Rohit Sharma lauded India’s efforts as they could compete well despite no contribution from the top order.
“Obviously winning the series is a good feeling. There were some challenges. The partnership between Rahul and Surya had a lot of maturity. We got to a respectable total in the end. We knew we could fight it out. The entire unit came out and bowled superbly.
“It is important for these guys to bat under pressure and that is how you will judge their character. 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,” Rohit Sharma spoke in the post-match presentation.
However, in the first innings, the Indian think tank made a surprising move to send Rishabh Pant to open the innings. It was the first time the wicketkeeper opened the innings for India.
KL Rahul was expected to open with Rohit Sharma but since Dhawan is set to join the team in the 3rd ODI, Indian management made this experiment which didn’t work as Pant struggled to get a move on and eventually holed out on 34-ball 18.
“I have been asked to try different things, so that was something different (on Pant opening). We wanted to try it one game and is not a permanent thing. 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),” Rohit stated.
The third and final ODI will be played on February 11.
Also read IND vs WI Stats Review: West Indies Tour Of India 2022, 2nd ODI