Pant Set for Game Time Even as India Chase Series Win vs Australia

Preview to the fourth ODI of the five-match series between India and Australia, to be held in Mohali on Sunday.

Rishabh Pant (right) is set to get a run in the playing XI with MS Dhoni rested for the final two games of India’s five-match ODI series vs Australia.

(Photo: AP)

• Fourth ODI of India’s five-match series against Australia takes place at Mohali on Sunday, 10 March.
• Australia stayed alive in the series and reduced India’s lead to 2-1 with a 32-run win in the third ODI at Ranchi.
• Rishabh Pant set to feature in India’s playing XI with MS Dhoni rested for the remainder of the series.
• India can climb to No. 1 in the ICC ODI rankings with a win at Mohali, but will also need a victory in the final game to stay at the top.

Young Rishabh Pant will strive to seal a slot in the World Cup squad even as India fret about their top-order woes ahead of the fourth ODI against Australia at Mohali on Sunday, 10 March.

Providing opportunities to World Cup hopefuls is high on Virat Kohli’s mind, and the team management has confirmed that it will be ringing in a few changes in the playing XI in the two remaining games in the series.

In Focus: Pant’s WC Audition

MS Dhoni seems to have played his final international game in India – quite fittingly, at his home town – and now Pant finally gets his shot at moving towards a ticket to England come May.

Pant’s three appearances in ODIs so far have all come in the capacity of a pure batsman, but with Dhoni rested he gets a chance to don the big gloves for the first time in the 50-over game.

It provides the 21-year-old an ideal audition, and begins his seeming shootout with Dinesh Karthik for the spot of India’s back-up wicketkeeper at the ICC World Cup 2019.

Also expected to be drafted into the XI is Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who joined up with the squad ahead of the third ODI after being rested for the first two games and the preceding T20Is.

Kumar is likely to replace Mohammed Shami, who was hit on the leg in his follow through at Ranchi. Shami completed his spell, but India are unlikely to risk the fitness of one of their premium pacers with time running out before the World Cup.

“We will have a few changes in the next couple of games but the idea is to tell the boys to put in match-winning performances and the boys will be looking to be in top form before the flight to England.”

Virat Kohli, after the third ODI

Top-Order Troubles: Unexpected Alarm

So long the differentiator between India and the rest of the world in ODIs, the top-order is providing the Men in Blue with their least anticipated headache two months ahead of the World Cup.

The runs have dried up for Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan – as indeed for a few others as well, barring Kohli, who keeps scaling a new record by the day.

India’s Top-4: Series So Far

• Rohit Sharma: 51 runs, average 17.00, strike rate 59.30
• Shikhar Dhawan: 22 runs, average 7.33, strike rate 55.00
• Virat Kohli: 283 runs, average 94.33, strike rate 108.84
• Ambati Rayudu: 33 runs, average 11.00, strike rate 55.93

(Graphic: Shruti Mathur/The Quint)

Take away Kohli’s runs, and India’s batting numbers make for embarrassing reading – a low pretty much unthinkable for an Indian ODI team, especially playing at home.

The returns of Dhawan and Rayudu, in particular, will be stressing the decision-makers in the Indian camp.

Rayudu is doing himself no favours, and his number four spot could well be in danger given Vijay Shankar’s formidable scores and the presence of KL Rahul – who has batted in the middle order before for India.

Speaking of Rahul, the highly-rated 26-year-old too could be in the running for a place in the XI at Mohali – a ground where he enjoyed a run-laden IPL season for the Kings XI Punjab last year. It remains to be seen, though, whether he takes Dhawan’s spot or Rayudu’s.

Too Little Turnaround Time?

One could question the quick turnover time between games three and four. It will have been barely 40 hours since the end of the Ranchi ODI when the action begins at Mohali on Sunday – with the teams completing a trip from the east of India to the north on Saturday.

Assistant coach Sanjay Bangar, however, considers the short gap a blessing in disguise.

“At times, actually it’s good that there is a very small turnaround between matches because if there are too many gaps, then players have that much more time to think. The best for any player is to get back into action and give it another shot.

Sanjay Bangar

Of greater concern to India will be the form of Aussie leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who is the second-highest wicket-taker in the series so far with seven scalps in three games – including the prized strikes of Kohli and Dhoni twice apiece.

“That's the sign of a good player. You're not at your best, not having your best day and still taking those important wickets. Batsmen pride themselves on the same thing – when you don't feel like you are hitting the ball well, you try to get runs on those days,” Usman Khawaja said about the leggie after Australia’s win at Ranchi.

Khawaja himself was one of the more pleasing aspects of the result for the visitors, registering his maiden ODI century to be named Man of The Match.

The left-hander shared a 193-run opening partnership with Aaron Finch – Australia’s first for the first wicket in ODIs since June 2018 – with the skipper’s much-awaited return to form a great relief to the Aussies.

(With inputs from PTI)