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'MS Dhoni had also pushed Virat Kohli down the order': Aakash Chopra suggests new opening pair for India in 4th T20I
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has now suggested another pair for India in the fourth T20I against England on Thursday. Chopra said India should open with Kishan and bring Rahul down to No.4. He also gave Dhoni's example when he had decided to bat Virat Kohli at No.4.
If problem of plenty was not a big enough headache for Virat Kohli while selecting India’s openers in T20Is, the loss of form of his most consistent T20 opener KL Rahul has compounded the matter further. Ahead of the fourth do-or-die T20I against England in Ahmedabad, India have a difficult choice of selecting their openers among Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan.
India have so far fielded different opening combinations in each of the three T20Is against England. In the first, it was Rahul and Dhawan. The left-hander was replaced by debutant Kishan in the second while Rohit came back to take his spot with Rahul as his partner in third.
India vs England 4th T20I live score
Former India opener Aakash Chopra has now suggested another pair for India in the fourth T20I on Thursday. Chopra said India should open with Rohit and Kishan and bring Rahul down to No.4.
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With scores of 0,1,0,0 in his last four T20I innings as an opener, Chopra feels batting at No.4 might just help Rahul to ease his nerves.
“Since Ind is unlikely to field 5 bowlers, how about opening with Rohit-Ishan...Kohli at 3. And Rahul at 4?” Chopra tweeted.
Chopra gave the example of former India captain MS Dhoni’s decision to bat Virat Kohli at No.4 against West Indies after a nightmarish England tour.
“Dhoni had also pushed Kohli down the order vs WI after that nightmarish tour to Eng in 2014. Sometimes a little change is all you need to regain form. My two cents,” he added.
Kohli had batted at No.4 in an ODI against West Indies in 2014. He continued to bat at that position in the next series against Sri Lanka before again going back to his preferred No.3 slot next year.
Apart from the second T20I, which India won comfortably, the famed top-order has come a copper against the raw pace of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer. With the T20 World Cup slated to take place later this year, Kohli would be hoping Rahul gets back to form and top-order starts firing.
