The guys below four are always flexible in terms of the situation. You want the best for the team. Being flexible is very important," Kohli said
Ambati Rayudu and Virat Kohli at a pre-match briefing in Guwahati on Saturday. Pic/PTI
India captain Virat Kohli on Saturday said his side's middle-order puzzle will be solved if Ambati Rayudu cements his place at the crucial No. 4 position in the matches ahead of next year's World Cup in England. Kohli said the challenge was only to find someone for the No. 4 slot and with Rayudu stepping up for that position in recent times, the batting order was more or less settled.
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"The only position we were trying to figure out was No.4 for a long time. We tried many players who unfortunately could not capitalise or cement their places in a way we wanted," Kohli said ahead of Sunday's first one-dayer against the West Indies here. "With Rayudu coming in and playing well in the Asia Cup, it's about giving him enough game time till the World Cup so that the particular slot will be sorted for us," he added.
On the back of a strong performance for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Rayudu, who scored 602 runs at an average of 43.00 and a strike-rate of 149.75, had earned a national call-up for the ODI leg of the England tour but was dropped after failing the YoYo test.
Grand success
But he made a successful return to the Asia Cup in the UAE last month and played an instrumental role in India's victorious campaign. "The team felt there — and I also watched him — that he (Rayudu) is designed to play that middle order batsman's role. We feel that our middle-order is more or less balanced now," Kohli said.
"We believe he is the right person to capitalise on that spot. He is experienced and has won many games for his state and also in the IPL. He has a great ODI record already for India. I think the batting order is sorted." India are slated to play around 18 ODIs before the World Cup, including the five-match series against the West Indies, beginning at the Barsapara Stadium here.
Hoping for perfection
"Now, these 18 games would be to find the perfect combination that we want to take into the World Cup," Kohli said. Batting at No. 3 in Kohli's absence, Rayudu amassed 175 runs, averaging 43.75 from six innings in the Asia Cup, virtually sealing his place for the experimental No. 4 slot.
"Barring injuries or niggles, we want one combination to play through and through. Apart from bowlers resting here and there in the ODIs, we only changed the No. 4 slot because we wanted someone to cement that place," Kohli reasoned.
There has been criticism about veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni's waning batting ability. But, when asked if he was open to adjusting No. 5, 6, 7 slots, Kohli said: "Here, more often than not, people want to create controversies out of nothing.
"You look at things the way you want to. You see anyone stepping out at No.3 according to the situation for a side England." The captain said in the recent past the bulk of the scoring has been done by the top three batsmen and so the lower-order got little chance to bat. "Batting order is always ready, especially after four. The guys below four are always flexible in terms of the situation. You want the best for the team. Being flexible is very important," Kohli said.
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