‘They will definitely start’: Virat Kohli names the opening combination for 1st ODI against England

Virat Kohli on Monday announced India's opening combination for the 1st ODI against England which will be played in Pune on Tuesday.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Monday confirmed that the duo of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma will open the innings for India in the 1st ODI against England which will be played in Pune on Tuesday.

India's captain Virat Kohli: File photo (AFP)

Vice-captain Rohit Sharma will be back in the ODI set-up after a long gap of 14 months. He last played an ODI game in the home series against Australia in January 2020. Dhawan, on the other hand, featured in the three-match ODI series Down Under in November 2020 where he scored 120 runs at an average of 40.

While addressing the pre-match virtual press conference on Monday, skipper Virat Kohli said that the duo is the first choice for the opening role in the 50-over format.

“Yes, there are a couple of things that internally we have discussed that we're going to keep an eye on.

“As far as the opening competition in ODIs is concerned, Shikhar and Rohit will definitely start. When it comes to one-day cricket, I don't think there's any issues or doubts over Rohit and Shikhar opening together. And they've been amazing for us in the past few years,” said Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

Kohli stoutly defended batsman KL Rahul who has been out of form in recent times. He elaborated on how the team deals with struggling players.

“I can only think about one thing when people talk about a player is out of form. Kuch toh log kahenge logon ka kaam hain kehna (quoting a Hindi song). There is a lot of impatience outside the cricket set up. People love listening to criticism and it has only increased,” said Kohli.

“In the team we know how to manage a player going through a tough patch. It is not as if you forget playing the game, it is just that you don't have the same mental clarity that you would usually have and then there is talk about you, which is another external factor you have to deal with.

“We will continue to back our players and keep them in good mental space,” he added.

Earlier on Saturday, India trumped England in the fifth T20I, and as a result, the hosts won the series 3-2. Now both teams will lock horns in a three-match ODI series, beginning Tuesday in Pune.

(With PTI Inputs)