Tag: kl rahul

Ind vs Eng 5th T20I: Battle for supremacy among two best teams in series-decider | Cricket News – Times of India

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AHMEDABAD: Having outsmarted England in challenging conditions, a confident India will back themselves to win the series-decider here on Saturday and take another firm step towards finalising their core for the T20 World Cup.
India, who went into the series with a fresh and fearless approach in the shortest format, find themselves well-placed in their preparations for the mega event at home later this year, irrespective of what happens in the fifth game.
The Virat Kohli-led side, which did not have the depth earlier to attack in all situations, finds itself full of ‘x-factor’ with the emergence of Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, whose willow bludgeoned the England bowlers, making it a dream debut on Friday.

His innings at number three was pure delight and left even the likes of Kohli “stunned”, reinforcing the role of IPL in providing polished talent to the national team.
It was not a surprise that Suryakumar found a place in the squad for the upcoming ODI series.
“It’s not easy to walk in at three in your first game and we all were stunned. He stamped his authority and allowed the likes of Shreyas, Hardik and Pant to do their job. I am a fan of these youngsters,” said Kohli referring to Suryakumar.
With Kishan and Suryakumar making massive impact in their maiden series, Haryana all-rounder Rahul Tewatia is the only one in the squad left to make his debut and that could happen on Saturday.
Another big plus for India in the series has been Hardik Pandya contributing with the ball regularly. He was among the star bowlers on Thursday, taking two wickets for 16 runs in four overs.

Leggie Rahul Chahar, playing in place of Yuzvendra Chahal, also did a decent job while Washington Sundar had a rare off day.
India will now be hoping KL Rahul fires at the top, having showed some form in the previous game following scores of 1, 0, 0.
Kohli must have got a lot of satisfaction out of the fact that India were able to put up a big score and defend with the dew around in the night. It was the first time in the series that the team batting first went on to the win the game.
England, on the other hand, will expect Jos Buttler and world’s number one batsman Dawid Malan to show more consistency with the bat.
The pace duo of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have been impressive but they have not got a lot of support from Chris Jordan, who leaked most runs in the fourth T20.
“We are just trying to learn as much as we can in this series. The progression to the World Cup in seven months is important,” said Morgan following the eight-run loss.
“….We really want to play in must win games like these. Certainly all to play for now. Playing away from home and winning will be great.”
Squads:
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Rahul Tewatia, Ishan Kishan
England: Eoin Morgan (captain), Joss Buttler, Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Chris Jordan, Mark Wood, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer

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Ind vs Eng, 4th T20 | India seeks quick solutions in its bid to keep the series alive

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Home side has to deal with selection questions and powerplay batting issues against Wood and Archer; winning the toss will help, given the success of chasing sides so far

Much was made of the importance of winning the toss and batting first in the preceding Test series, but as it turns out, the spin of the coin has played an equally vital role in the T20Is. Only this time, opting to field has been the preferred option, leading to easy victories for the chasing side in all three outings so far.

Trailing 1-2 in the five-match series, India skipper Virat Kohli will hope to win the toss and bat second in the fourth T20I here on Thursday.

Awkward, sticky bounce

A combination of factors has contributed to this trend. On the slow Narendra Modi Stadium pitches, the early overs have offered an awkward, sticky bounce. This has forced normally attacking batsmen to bide their time in order to come to grips with the surface.

In the first and third T20Is, India’s task was made that much harder by the brilliance of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. Both England pacers have been rapid, touching the 150 kmph mark, while generating steep bounce from short of a length. They have attacked the stumps as well, evidenced by Wood cleaning up K.L. Rahul with a terrific in-dipper on Tuesday, and when Wood and Archer hit timber to send back Shikhar Dhawan and Rahul respectively in the first outing.

Restricted to measly returns in the PowerPlay — 22/3 in the first T20I and 24/3 in the third — India was forced to play catch-up.

England captain Eoin Morgan has preferred to chase, a sentiment echoed by teammate Jos Buttler. “In T20 cricket in general, there seems to be a trend where batting second is advantageous,” Buttler said, after his unbeaten 83 on Tuesday.

Clarity of thought

Buttler was likely referring to the clarity of thought when hunting a fixed target, as opposed to spending time to assess a good total when batting first. The dew factor under lights — which leads to bowlers facing difficulty in gripping the ball — also sways the argument in favour of chasing.

India, meanwhile, has some selection questions to answer. Will Suryakumar Yadav — left out for the third T20I despite not getting a chance to bat on his international debut on Sunday — be given another chance to prove his worth? And what of Rahul, who has scored only one run in the series so far. If Rahul is dropped, Ishan Kishan could move up from one-drop to opener — a spot where he tasted great success in the second T20I.

The teams (from):

India: Virat Kohli (Capt.), Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, Rahul Chahar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, and Shardul Thakur.

England: Eoin Morgan (Capt.), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, and Mark Wood.

Match starts at 7 p.m.

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Virat Kohli, Vikram Rathour throw their weight behind KL Rahul | Cricket News – Times of India

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When a flamboyant yet classic top order batsman hits a rough patch, it sparks consternation and despair along with some surprise and intrigue. KL Rahul has spawned all of that.
In the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League in the UAE, the Punjab Kings skipper scored 670 runs in 14 matches, which included a century and five half-centuries. It earned him the Orange cap for the highest run-getter.

The same batsman has managed a solitary run in three matches in the T20 series against England. That one run came in the opening fixture and just when one thought he couldn’t fare worse he produced a couple of noughts in the next two matches.
To say that his current form has come under scrutiny is perhaps an understatement, especially with India firming up the team for the T20 World Cup at home later this year.

The rustiness can be partially attributed to the fact that Rahul has not played competitive cricket since December last year and was benched for the Test series against England. The lack of match time has shown in his timing and selection of shots in the ongoing series.
Hard times may have befallen Rahul, but he can take heart from the fact that he has the backing of pastmasters and his team, skipper Virat Kohli in particular.

After India’s loss to England on Tuesday, Kohli came out in support of the Karnataka batsman, stressing on the numbers he has piled over the years.
“I was going through a lean patch two games ago. These things turn around very quickly. He’s been a champion player for us. If you look at his numbers in the last 2-3 years, they’re probably better than anyone else in T20 cricket,” said Kohli.

Emphasising that the team’s faith in Rahul is unbroken, Kohli added, “He’ll continue to be one of our main batsmen along with Rohit at the top of the order, so we don’t have any concerns there. We know once he starts playing positively and a few shots come off, then it’s a matter of 5-6 balls in this format and suddenly you’re back into that zone.”
Rahul exhibited that zone in the IPL, when he settled down in quick time after a prolonged pandemic-induced break.
Having averaged a little under 41 in 48 T20 appearances for the country, Rahul also found support in batting coach Vikram Rathour.
“In the past one year, KL has been our best batsman in the T20 format, averaging 40-plus and striking at 145. Three failures don’t change the fact that he may be the best in the format. He’s done really well for us and this is the time that the team has to support him and I’m sure he will come out of this lean phase,” stated Rathour.

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4th T20I: In must-win game, India aim to negate toss factor against England | Cricket News – Times of India

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AHMEDABAD: India would aim to take the toss out of equation and put up a much improved all-round show against a formidable England in their to bid to level the series in the fourth Twenty20, here on Thursday.
The template of win the toss and bowl has been set in the series with the chasing team getting home rather comfortably.
However, India skipper Virat Kohli has repeatedly stressed on the need to do well whether they are posting totals or chasing as part of their preparation for the T20 World Cup at home later this year.

In the two games they lost after batting first, India struggled in the powerplay, which impacting their final total despite one batsman (Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli respectively) going on to make a significant contribution.
A lot of it was down to KL Rahul not being amongst the runs but Kohli made it amply clear that the Karnataka batsman and Rohit Sharma remain their preferred opening combination.
“If you look at his stats in the last 2-3 years, they are probably better than anyone in T20. He will continue to be one of our main batters along with Rohit at the top of the order. We don’t have any concerns there,” said Kohli.
The express pace of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer has also made life tough for the Indians in the first six overs. They have been able to extract disconcerting bounce from the surface, putting the batsmen in two minds.

Going by Kohli’s words post the third game, a third all-rounder alongside Hardik Pandya and Washington Sundar can be drafted into the side with the choice between uncapped Rahul Tewatia and Axar Patel.
Unlike the first game, Kohli’s sublime 77 ensure India did have some runs to defend but the bowlers hardly troubled the opposition batsmen with Jos Buttler running away with the contest.
The team’s number one spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has leaked runs both times India have set a target.
Hardik Pandya’s return as a bowling all-rounder has been promising but he is yet to take a wicket. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has kept things tidy in his comeback series but the team expects him to provide regular breakthroughs with the new ball.
Offie Washington Sundar has been the stand out bowler for India with four wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.95.
Despite India being 1-2 down, no major changes are expected in the playing eleven.
England, like India, also want to win in all conditions and will be buoyed by their emphatic win in the previous game.
Buttler being amongst the runs is also a cause of worry for India as on his day he can demolish any attack in the world.
Jonny Bairstow, who had a horror run in the two Tests he played against India, came up with a morale boosting 40* on Tuesday.
Now England are waiting for the world’s number one batsman Dawid Malan to fire.
It will take a special effort from India to stop the number one ranked team from winning the series on Thursday night. The hosts winning the toss should make their task less tough.
Squads:
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vc), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Rahul Tewatia, Ishan Kishan
England: Eoin Morgan (captain), Joss Buttler, Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Chris Jordan, Mark Wood, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer

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Ind vs Eng 3rd T20I: India’s top-order wobble hands England eight-wicket win | Cricket News – Times of India

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In recent times, intent has been Team India’s top buzzword, with aggression coming a tight second. Against England in the third T20 in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night, India’s top-order – KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan – failed to channelize the team’s mantra.
In sharp contrast, Virat Kohli funnelled his aggression in the right direction as he raised a well-crafted unbeaten 46-ball-77 (8×4; 4×6) which helped India to 156/6. But his efforts proved to be too little too late. Jos Buttler dished out a classy 52-ball 83* (5×4; 4×6) to see England through to runaway eight-wicket win with 10 balls to spare.
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Jonny Bairstow (40*; 28b; 5×4) played the perfect comrade in arms to Buttler.
While pacers Mark Wood (3/31) and Chris Jordan (2/35) flexed their pace against the home team’s erring batsmen, England opener Buttler tore into the Indian bowling attack. On an easing surface, the wicketkeeper-batsman spelt out his intentions early when he welcomed spinner Yuzvendra Chahal into the attack by dancing down the track to send the ball over long-on for maximum.

Four balls and a wicket (Jason Roy) later, he found the sweet spot again in the same direction and didn’t look back thereafter. He took a special liking to Chahal and Shardul Thakur and made batting seem like a walk in the park. Buttler’s knock was symbolic of England’s thumping victory, which ensured a 2-1 advantage in the five-match series for the visitors.
Earlier, sent in to bat, Kohli saw the team to a reasonable total in the company of Hardik Pandya (17), with whom he shared a 70-run sixth wicket association.

The home side brought in Rohit – in place of Suryakumar Yadav – to open the innings with KL Rahul. Wood, who sat out of the previous match due to injury, was impeccable with his line and length on a surface which didn’t scream seam but was liberal with pace and bounce.
The Indian openers failed to read the conditions and the first to make his way back to the dugout was the misfiring Rahul (0), whose indecisiveness in playing Wood’s allowed the ball to zip through the gate. Both Rohit (15) and last match hero Ishan (4) paid the price for poor shot selection with Rohit falling to a low catch to Jofra Archer at short fine leg.

01:333rd T20I: Buttler show gives England 2-1 lead over India

3rd T20I: Buttler show gives England 2-1 lead over India

India were already in trouble, having slipped to 24/3 at the end of powerplay and a partnership between Kohli and Rishabh Pant (25) was crucial to get out of jail. But an attempt to steal a non-existent third run, with ample encouragement from Kohli, sent Pant back. Kohli then began to resuscitate India’s innings. Where Pandya struggled, Kohli played with authority.
Kohli shifted gears in the 16th over when he top-edged Archer for a six. What followed was a masterclass. Kohli brought up his successive half-century with a boundary off Jordan. Even Wood, who had kept it tight for his first three overs, was not spared as India milked 69 runs off the last five overs, but that failed to change the host’s fortunes.

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In Pics: Buttler stars as England beat India by 8 wickets in third T20I

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Jos Buttler’s blistering 83 not out trumped Virat Kohli’s majestic half-century as England beat India by eight wickets in the third T20I to go 2-1 up in the five-match series. (PTI Photo)

The hosts will need to address issues while batting first. Far too often they have lost T20I matches while batting first and skipper Kohli alluded to it in his post-match press-conference.
“Yes, we wanted to bowl first too and toss was a factor. But if you lose the toss, embrace what has been asked from you. The England bowlers attacked the right lines and lengths and with their pace, they became more potent,” Kohli said.
India would also like to take a look at the combinations and their tendency to try out too many things against a team that is on top of the world rankings and joint favourites for the World T20 which is scheduled to be played in India in October.
They have less than two days to salvage the series as the fourth T20I will be played at the same venue on Thursday evening.

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kl rahul: India vs England: Three failures don’t change the fact that KL Rahul is our best T20 batsman, says Vikram Rathour | Cricket News – Times of India

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AHMEDABAD: Three cheap dismissals can’t change the fact that KL Rahul is India’s “best T20 batsman” who needs to be supported during this rough phase, batting coach Vikram Rathour echoed skipper Virat Kohli’s sentiments after team’s eight wicket defeat against England in the third T20I on Tuesday.
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Rahul has had scores of 1, 0 and 0; and a part of it could be attributed to no game-time since the end of T20I series in Australia early December.
“Anybody can have a lean phase and KL has been our best batsman in T20 format. He is averaging 40 plus with a strike rate of 145, and three failures doesn’t change the fact that he is the best batsman we have in this format,” Rathour said after the match in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

“This is the time when we need to support him and I am absolutely sure he will come back out of the lean phase,” the batting coach spoke in the same vein as Kohli did at the presentation ceremony.
However, Rathour did agree that rustiness could be a reason and all it would take is one good shot to get back into the groove.
“I agree they do tend to get rusty when they are sitting out, but only thing we can do is to provide them practice. They are having a lot of net sessions and even on middle (centre strips),” he said.

“That’s all they can do and we can just hope that one innings or one shot, and they will be back in form, people like KL Rahul,” he added.
India have now lost two games batting first and according to the former Test opener, the pitches on offer during the last three matches have been tricky.
“It is a difficult surface to assess what will be a good score, and the bounce makes it tricky when you start batting. The ball stops and we saw some variable bounce. So you can’t assess how many runs will be a good score,” Rathour said.
“Every game we have played on different surfaces and as a team it is tough. We have had three games now and next game, hopefully, we can do better if we bat first.”

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KL Rahul is a champion player and he will continue to open: Virat Kohli | Cricket News – Times of India

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AHMEDABAD: India captain Virat Kohli on Tuesdaythrew his weight behind struggling opener KL Rahul, calling him “a champion player” who remains the best candidate along with Rohit Sharma for the opening slot in the shortest format.
Rahul has been in woeful form with scores of 1, 0, 0 in his last three T20Is.
Kohli, who was dismissed for naught in the fourth Test and the first T20I against England before he turned it around with unbeaten scores of 73 and 77, said it is a matter of few balls.
“I was going through a lean patch two days back. He (KL Rahul) has been a champions player. He’ll continue to be one of our main players along with Rohit at the top of the order,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation.

“It’s a matter of five-six balls in this format.”
Kohli, who pulled India out of trouble with a 46-ball knock, said it was tough facing the new ball, especially with pacer Mark Wood hitting the 90 plus miles per hour.
“You don’t want to play knocks which don’t help the team in any way. It was a bit difficult to bat against the new ball. Their bowlers were hitting good areas,” he said.
“The England bowlers attacked right lines and lengths and with their pace they became more potent.
“We got one little partnership, it was important for me to bat deep. The case was to get set and try to get a decent total. We lacked intensity in the second half.”
Talking about Pandya, Kohli said,” We want to give Hardik a bit more responsibility with the ball; we know what he can do with the bat.”
England skipper Eoin Morgan praised his bowlers for their “exceptional” display.

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In Pics: Buttler stars as England beat India by 8 wickets in third T20I

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Jos Buttler’s blistering 83 not out trumped Virat Kohli’s majestic half-century as England beat India by eight wickets in the third T20I to go 2-1 up in the five-match series. (PTI Photo)

“When you look at conditions tonight, Adil started well and when the pacers came on, the carry that we saw was a bit of a surprise for us. I thought the first half of our bowling was exceptional,” he said.
“The wicket stayed similar, throughout all the games, and if you lose early wickets at the top that raises a question. It’s just a dynamic of T20 cricket.”
Jos Buttler blasted an unbeaten 83 to take England overhaul the target of 157 in 18.2 overs.
“Jos is a world-class player and he has averaged upwards of 50 and striking at 150 at the top. There’s very little you have to say to Jos. He’s been in incredible form and he’s a great leader within our group,” Morgan said.
The England skipper received his 100th cap on Tuesday from Buttler and Morgan said he was moved by his words.
“It nearly got me to tears [getting the 100th cap from Buttler]. He’s a great friend of mine and our families are close. His words warmed my heart and I’m very grateful for that.”
Adjudged Man of the Match for his whirlwind innings, Buttler said: “It was nice to spend time in the middle and I always like to not out at the end.”
“It just felt like a good time to attack [at the top]. It was nice to chance my arm a bit. The first six off got me up and running and gave me confidence.”

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India vs England, 3rd T20I: Jos Buttler blitz trumps Virat Kohli knock as England reclaim series lead | Cricket News – Times of India

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AHMEDABAD: Virat Kohli‘s brilliance wasn’t good enough to paper over an otherwise inept Indian batting performance as England humbled the hosts by eight wickets in the third T20 International to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, here on Tuesday.
Eoin Morgan unleashed his fast bowlers Mark Wood (3/31) and Chris Jordan (2/35) to restrict the hosts for 156 for six, which the visitors surpassed easily in 18.2 overs, riding on Jos Buttler‘s unbeaten 83 off 52 balls.
Skipper Kohli had mistakenly said at the toss that his team led 2-1 but Morgan, in his 100th T20 International appearance, made sure that opposite happened.
Match highlights | Scorecard
Buttler showed his mastery in white ball format after Kohli single-handedly carried the team to a reasonable score with an unbeaten 77 off 46 balls.

Buttler in the Powerplay pounced on Shardul Thakur and Yuzvendra Chahal in successive overs and England were never in danger of falling behind the run-rate after that.
He played the pacers and spinners with comforting ease, playing reverse slog sweeps interspersed between the lofted straight hits into the empty stands. In all, Buttler hit five fours and four sixes.

More than the Buttler’s blade, the difference between two sides was the sheer pace generated by England pacers after Morgan won another good toss.
Mark Wood rocked the Indian top order during the Powerplay overs and even Kohli’s magnificence wasn’t good enough to save the night for the ‘Men In Blue’.
Wood’s thunderbolts at 90 plus miles per hour found the younger Indian batsmen in considerable discomfort.
He didn’t do anything extra but bowled fast and straight, mixing the well disguised short pitched stuff to get them into a tangle.
Save Kohli, other Indian youngsters found it difficult to put bat to ball as pace and bounce off the pitch worked wonders for English speed merchants.
The Indian skipper with his near perfect technique fought fire with fire, playing pull shots and the lofted hits, shuffling towards leg stump to make room for himself.
He was lucky when his mis-timed flick off a short ball from Jofra Archer fetched him a six but then the second flick off Chris Jordan was perfectly dispatched to the longest corner for a maximum.
But the shot of the night was a straight six off Wood, which made the bowler take his time to finish the over. Not to forget the shape which he was in while executing a ramp shot off Archer.
His partnership with Hardik Pandya (17 off 15 balls) fetched 70 runs off just 5.3 overs but it was all about Kohli for the better part as the Baroda all-rounder was struggling to time the ball.
But others were not so lucky with Wood making life miserable for them.
KL Rahul (0) was once again in the midst of a forgettable patch where all the good deliveries were being earmarked for him.

Wood bowled one at 91 mph, that pitched on length and nipped back enough to breach through the opener’s defence before he could bring his bat down.
Rohit Sharma (15 off 17 balls) was playing his first game of the series and while he managed to read Adil Rashid’s googlies well, Wood’s well directed bouncer got him as he was holed out in the deep.
Ishan Kishan (4), after a dream debut, got a hostile welcome from Wood, who managed to soften the Jharkhand dasher.

The result was Chris Jordan extracting extra bounce and the ill-timed pull shot bringing Kishan’s downfall as the hosts looked in complete disarray.



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India vs England: We weren’t aware of what we had to do on that pitch, says Virat Kohli | Cricket News – Times of India

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AHMEDABAD: Outgunned by England on a tricky pitch, India skipper Virat Kohli admitted that they were clueless about handling the challenge posed by the conditions in the first T20 international, here on Friday.
Invited to bat, India managed just 124 for seven as the batsmen struggled to cope with the two-paced track at the Motera stadium. England, however, chased the target comfortably, scoring 130 for 2 in 15.3 overs.
Kohli, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan fell to poor shots, something about which the Indian skipper looked concerned.

“We just weren’t aware of what we had to do on that pitch, lack of execution on our shots and something we have to address,” kohli said after going down by eight wickets.
“Accept your faults, come back with more intent, clarity of areas you want to hit. Wicket didn’t allow you to hit the shots we wanted to.”

Kohli was pleased with the determination shown by Shreyas Iyer, who hit a half-century to help India post a respectable total.
“Shreyas showed how to use the crease and ride the bounce. Below par batting performance and England made us play. We looked to try a few things, but having said that you have to accept the conditions.
“If the pitch allows you to, you can be aggressive from ball one. We didn’t spend enough time assessing, Shreyas did but we had lost too many wickets to get to 150-160.”

Asked if switching from Test format to the shortest format was a reason for India’s struggle, Kohli disagreed.
“That shouldn’t be a factor, take pride in playing good white-ball cricket, won our last few T20 series. These five games before the World Cup, we have to try a few things, but we can’t take anything lightly against England.”
Happy to be on the winning side, England skipper said: “(It was a good game) Particularly in the bowling department, the wicket was better for us than we expected, we didn’t have to go to plan B and C very often, which is always a good sign.”

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In Pics: Archer, Roy help England steamroll India in T20 series opener

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England’s bowlers did the spadework before opener Jason Roy’s explosive 49 helped secure a comprehensive eight-wicket victory against India in the first Twenty20 International in Ahmedabad on Friday. (ANI Photo)

Opener Jason Roy’s fluent knock ensured that England went about their business calmly.
Morgan was quick to point out the impact Roy has on the team.
“Within the side there’s huge competition, outside the squad, too. Huge support for players who score runs and does well, and when Jason does it gees the boys up.”
Like Kohli, the England captain stressed that there was no Test hangover on players.
“It is a completely different format, very distinct. In big series, like the Ashes, we’ve come out the back and learned from it,” Morgan signed off.

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India vs England: Shikhar Dhawan sweats it out in training ahead of first T20I | Cricket News – Times of India

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AHMEDABAD: India opener Shikhar Dhawan has kept no stone unturned to prepare for the upcoming five-match T20I series against India.
With questions being raised as to who will open with star batsman Rohit Sharma in the T20I series, Dhawan is ensuring he ticks all the boxes going into the first game on Friday.
Dhawan on Wednesday shared glimpses of how his training for the shortest format has fared. In the pictures, the left-handed batsman is not only seen smashing his signature sweep shot, but also honing his fielding skills.
“All in a training day’s work,” Dhawan tweeted.

Meanwhile, former India batsman VVS Laxman has picked Rohit and KL Rahul as the opening pair for the upcoming T20I series.
According to the former batsman, Dhawan — despite being in great touch — can be used as a backup opener keeping in mind this year’s T20 World Cup in India.
Speaking on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, Laxman said, “It will be a tough question, as far as the selection of the second opener is concerned. There’s no doubt about that because Rohit Sharma is an automatic choice in white-ball cricket. I will still go with KL Rahul because over the last few months and years I think the Indian team management went with KL Rahul as an opening batsman and he has done really well in that position.
“Yes, Shikhar Dhawan had a fantastic IPL, the way he batted at the top of the order, scoring centuries for Delhi Capitals and then he’s in tremendous form for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare, where he scored a big 100 in that tournament as well. With KL Rahul as an opening combination, you want someone who’s second. Keeping in mind the T20 World Cup, you have to identify who your openers are going to be there in the World Cup and back them; don’t chop and change. You have someone as experienced as Shikhar Dhawan, who can be the backup opener in case one of these openers Rohit Sharma/KL Rahul gets injured or loses their form,” he added.



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