New Delhi: Team India are all geared up for to take on the formidable Australian team in the second version of their 2017 rivalry – a limited-over series that will kick-start in Chennai, on September 17. And India vice-cpatain Rohit Sharma talks about the match, his past performances and the squad ahead of the first One-Day International match.
Going by statistics, Rohit has best ODI records against Australia. He has the highest individual score (171.n.o) against the Kanagaroos at their own backyard. Not only so, among active Indian players, he is the highest run-scorer against Australia. He stands second among Indians, after Sachin Tendulkar, who leads the chart. The right-handed opener stands atop among fellow team members and second overall owing to his impressive batting average of 68.25.
"Nothing in particular, actually. I want to score runs against all oppositions, but he it seems that I have really managed well against these guys (Team Australia). I fact, it is great to have such kind of performances against a team so strong as Australia. I reckon that Australia is a strong team, and I feel good that I have managed to score good runs against them. But at the same time I want to score against other oppositions also, "said Rohit in a media interaction in Chennai.
The opener then went on to praise Team India's bench strength and that the Men in Blue have ample artilleries in their cabinet to replace Shikhar Dhawan, who has been released by the team, the other day owing to personal reasons.
"We have a great bench strength. Shikhar's absence wil be felt. He has had a big role to play from the Champions Trophy to the tour of Sri Lanka. But we have a few guys who can replace him," added Rohit. "Ajinkya Rahane is definitely one of them, who had a splendid tour against in West Indies."
With Dhawan's absence KL Rahul and Rahane are the two possibilities kept in front of skipper Virat Kohli for the position of the opening slot. Rahul had started out as an opener, but was given the middle-order role in the Sri Lanka series, which surely didn;t go down well. While Rahane was up and rolling in the Windies tour whilst playing as an opener.
"Prior to the Lanka tour, the captain had said that he was looking at Rahul as a No.4 batsman. But Rahane will remain the option for the opening slot," explained the vice-captain. "Having said that," added Rohit, "given the versatality, it gives a little bit of relief to the skipper and the coach that these guys can take up any position that they are offered. In fact, that is how I had become an opener."
Team India has quite been fond of wrist spinners. Ever since Kuldeep Yadav's deceptive spin outfoxed Australia's formidable batting line-up in the Dharamsala decider earlier this year, virat seemed to be keeping an opetion of at least one wrsit spinner in the playing XI. With Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja put to rest in the Lanka ODI series, Kuldeep and Yuzvendra Chahal were roped in and both had proven worth breaking in at important situations.
"They are a kind of 'mystery' spinners. You never know what is coming out of their hand, to be honest. In fact, it is their mysteriousness in their delivery that helps the team overcome crucial junctures in the game."
Talking about the pitch, Rohit added, "I just had a glance while passing by. It's a good hard wicket, a typical Chennai wicket. High scoring. Although we will have a closer look at the wicket once we start with our practice sessions."
