While Kohli was in the spotlight with his 52nd ODI ton, Srikkanth opined that Rahul and Jadeja’s 65-run stand from just 36 balls for the sixth wicket helped India finish strongly in the first innings and post a formidable total of 349/8 after being asked to bat first by the Proteas.
Kohli departed in the 43rd over after scoring a majestic 135 off 120 balls. Rahul hit 60 off just 56 balls, and Jadeja contributed with a 20-ball 32, giving the South African bowlers no respite.
“His (Jadeja) knock of 29 (32) off 17 (20) balls went unnoticed. He actually played at a different level too. The last KL Rahul-Jadeja partnership was excellent but went unnoticed. That was a key and both crushed the bowling given their strike rates in the partnership. Nobody saw that effect as everything was overshadowed by Virat Kohli’s knock. They did the job in silence without making any noise to transfer,” said Srikkanth. his YouTube channel.
Had KL Rahul batted higher in the order, it would have been better for India: Srikkanth
However, the former India captain questioned the decision to send all-rounder Washington Sundar ahead of stand-in skipper Rahul. Srikkanth said that Rahul should never bat below number 5.
“I don’t know if Washington Sundar would go ahead of him. If KL Rahul had batted higher up the order, it would have been better for India. He should never have gone below 5. Yes, it was a successful move in the Champions Trophy. But I don’t think you should make a habit of it. He should bat at number 4 or 5. Washington Sundar can go as a finisher instead of coming at number 5,” he added.
“Stylish Rolls-Royce Rahul, India can’t do without him. He scored his 60 effortlessly. Once he hit that six off Burger, he was unstoppable. But I don’t understand why KL Rahul comes to bat at No. 6. He should be batting at No. 4 or 5 and no further. I don’t understand this logic at all,” Srikkanth wondered.
The Men in Blue won the match by 17 points to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second ODI will take place on Wednesday, December 3 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.
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