We Never Felt Invincible, Want To See Ajinkya Rahane In Team: Virat Kohli

Dec 23, 2018 at 3:57 PM

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We Never Felt Invincible, Want To See Ajinkya Rahane In Team: Virat Kohli

On the eve of one-off Test between India and Bangladesh, skipper Virat Kohli praised his teammate Ajinkya Rahane and termed him the ‘most solid’ batsman.

Kohli also ensured to groom youngsters in a team while speaking during the press conference in Hyderabad.

“Ajinkya [Rahane] has been the most solid batsman. He deserves to walk back into the team,” Kohli said ahead of the India-Bangladesh Test.

The 28-year-old Rahane was replaced by Karun Nair following the finger injury for Mumbai and Chennai Tests against England.

“I feel one game doesn’t overshadow two years of hard work of another player. That’s my point of view. You need to understand what Ajinkya [Rahane] has done since past two years for the team. His average is around 50 [47] in Tests,” Kohli said.

The right-handed batsman Rahane had a string of low scores against England. He hit 63 in his five innings.

“You need to back players for a long time for them to become match-winners and eventually have long careers for India,” Kohli revealed.

However, Indian skipper Kohli hinted to leave out Karun Nair, who scored a triple hundred against England at Chepauk.

“Karun [Nair] was stepping in his shoes and what he did is remarkable while sealing his spot in the squad,” Kohli added.

Kohli expressed they’ll go full strength against Bangladesh before terming communication has played a major role in the team.

He praised the disciplined efforts of team India’s bowlers for their recent success, particularly in Tests.

“We want to play good cricket. One hour of the game could change the scenario. We will go with the same way how we played before the conclusion of limited-overs series against England,” Kohli remarked.

Since gaining the Test status in 2000, Bangladesh has faced India in eight Tests in which India have won six.

“Bangladesh did well in the recent past particularly in New Zealand and you can’t write them off,” Kohli further said.

Formidable India will face Bangladesh after registering their five consecutive series’ wins in Tests against England, New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

“Bench strength gives you enough options. We have a pool of players who contributed in the recent past. Credit goes to selectors to identifying such players. We are lucky to have good bench strength in the side,” Kohli concluded.

The one-off Test between India-Bangladesh will be played on Thursday at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad.

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