Fresh off his match-winning 135 in Ranchi, Virat Kohli will again be the cynosure in India’s second ODI against South Africa at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday.
In his own words, Kohli still has the right mindset and is in a good mental space to produce such game-changing knocks. That’s just perfect for India as they go into the game eyeing an unassailable lead in the three-match series.
But then, India will also be wary of the fact that they had a close shave in the last game despite defending an almost 350-run total. If the Proteas had bowled a little better, or if they had kept their nerves in the death overs, the result could have been different. So despite the win, India, who boast of an enviable record in the white-ball formats of late, will have a few areas to look into.
But the presence of Kohli and Rohit Sharma has brought a sense of assurance in the dressing room. Stand-in captain KL Rahul said so on Sunday, and on Tuesday, pacer Harshit Rana echoed his skipper.
“It (presence of Kohli and Rohit in the dressing room) is a big thing for me, and for the entire team,” Rana said on the eve of the second ODI. “If such experienced players are in the dressing room and on the field, the environment stays great.
“In their minds, they (Kohli and Rohit) always want youngsters to get better. When I am bowling, for example, they always tell me how to bowl better. When a player gets such a great team environment, things automatically go well,” the 23-year-old emphasised.
Elaborating further on the advantage of the stalwart duo’s presence, Harshit stated: “They are always motivated. They back you and tell you what next steps you should take. As a youngster, this really helps you.”
While that is good to hear, it will not always win them games. The other batters need to buck up, while India should think about their batting order. On the bowling front, they need to cut down on the width they gifted the Proteas batters with in the last game.
Kohli consent
Kohli is set to play a few matches for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. “He has given his availability for the same,” Delhi and District Cricket Association president Rohan Jaitley confirmed to The Telegraph late on Tuesday.
Delhi begin their campaign against Andhra at Alur, Bengaluru, on December 24.
