Virat Kohli surprised everyone when he decided to open the innings with Rohit Sharma in the fifth T20I against England. The series was tied 2-2 and with regular opener KL Rahul struggling for form, Virat decided to promote himself to the top of the order. And the experiment worked wonders as the duo stitched a blazing 94-run partnership for the first wicket.
While Rohit was the aggressor at the start, Virat patiently rotated the strike. Rohit departed after scoring 64 off 34 balls but he had already put India in a comfortable position. Virat took the onus after Rohit’s wicket as he stayed till the end to take his side’s total to 224 runs.
Virat remained unbeaten on 80 as India won the game by 36 runs to clinch the series. Former England skipper Michael Vaughan was highly impressed with Virat and Rohit as he said that the duo reminded him of ‘Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar’.
“Sometimes you just need a little bit of luck and stumble across the right batting order. India have done that with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma opening. I’m sure that was not their intention at the start of the series. But today they reminded me of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. In a T20 innings you have 120 balls to spread across your players so if you are India then you want Virat and Rohit to face the maximum amount. The rest of the Indian line up can go for it because they know Virat will play in such a solid way,” Vaughan wrote in an article for Telegraph.
{{/usCountry}}“Sometimes you just need a little bit of luck and stumble across the right batting order. India have done that with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma opening. I’m sure that was not their intention at the start of the series. But today they reminded me of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. In a T20 innings you have 120 balls to spread across your players so if you are India then you want Virat and Rohit to face the maximum amount. The rest of the Indian line up can go for it because they know Virat will play in such a solid way,” Vaughan wrote in an article for Telegraph.
{{/usCountry}}“The other three batsmen around Virat today scored 135 runs in 68 balls. He scored 80 off 52 so it was the perfect T20 innings. India learned from the fourth game when Kohli came in and there was not enough time left in the innings.”
India and England will now play in a three-match ODI series that begins on Tuesday in Pune.