Indian national cricket team‘s head coach Ravi Shastri has been impressed hugely on Ambati Rayudu’s recent batting performance during the Wellington ODI. Ravi Shastri feels that Ambati Rayudu can be India’s X-factor during the upcoming 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
In the recent Wellington ODI against the hosts New Zealand, the 33-year-old Ambati Rayudu played a magnificent knock with the bat. While India was struggling on 18/4, Ambati Rayudu played a knock of 90 runs off 113 balls. That innings helped India to score 252 runs and later they won that match by 35 runs.
Earlier, in the Hamilton ODI, where New Zealand bundled out India for just 92 runs, Ambati Rayudu scored a duck after throwing his wicket through a wild shot. However, Ravi Shastri is satisfied on Ambati Rayudu’s quick improvement to take the responsibility.
Recently, Ravi Shastri said on Ambati Rayudu’s batting, “To a degree, yes. In the previous match (fourth ODI at Hamilton), he batted like a millionaire (throwing away his wicket as India were bowled out for 92). He went back to the drawing board after that and dug deep on Sunday in Wellington. He played the situation.“
Ravi Shastri also believes that Ambati Rayudu’s unorthodox batting can be an X-factor for India during the World Cup.
The head coach added, “And the one quality Rayudu has, he can be very unorthodox. With the way he bats, he can be an x-factor for us. He will play shots that are unconventional at times, but they can be very effective. The more he plays like this (like at Wellington), the more he will realise he can do that to the opposition.”
Ravi Shastri praised India’s entire middle-order batting
Ravi Shastri also praised Vijay Shankar, who also played a crucial knock of 45 runs off 64 balls during the Wellington ODI. However, the head coach added that the all-rounder could play aggressively in the death overs.
The former Indian cricketer added, “Don’t mistake Vijay Shankar with the bat. You saw his defensive game on Sunday (in Wellington). If he had been there for the last 8-10 overs, he would have spanked the bowling.”
During the late part of the Wellington ODI, Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya also played some crucial knocks for the side. Kedar Jadhav scored 34 runs off 45 balls while Hardik Pandya played a smashing knock of 45 runs off 22 balls.
The head coach lauded the entire middle-order batting and claimed that their aggressive intent added flair to the side. He compared the team with the former top Indian ODI sides.
Ravi Shastri quoted, “This aggressive intent adds flair to the Indian side. The best ODI sides in the world have proper batsmen at numbers 5, 6, 7, 8. Look at the Indian team in 1983, or even in 1985. Then, look at the 2011 Indian team. You had Suresh Raina coming in at number seven, and he won you games (against Australia in the quarter-final and Pakistan in the semi-final). With Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni and Raina at numbers 5, 6, 7, no side could relax. So when you have Hardik Pandya coming in at number 7 or even at 8, the opposition cannot relax.”
Ravi Shastri is very confident on the Indian middle-order batting line-up. He strongly feels that the present middle-order batting line-up can bring the best results in the upcoming World Cup.