India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has backed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ahead of the second ODI against Australia which will be held at Adelaide Oval. The duo could not score runs in the first ODI and had a very weak comeback as they returned to international cricket after seven months hiatus.
Speaking ahead of the Adelaide match in pre-match press conference, Kotak stressed that both the players have prepared extensively before the series and one poor outing should not be critiqued so hardly.
“They played the IPL. The preparation has been very good. I think it was the weather. It would have been the same if Australia had come out to bat. It is not easy when there are four or five interruptions and every two overs you are going in and coming back out.”
“Both of them are very experienced. Before coming to Australia, they had proper preparation. I think it’s too early to judge them. They just retired from Test cricket. Coming into the series, we were aware of their fitness levels and the preparation work they had been doing. We had access to their videos from the NCA. With such senior players, you do not need to step in right away if you see they are doing the right things. If you try to get involved too much, that might not be the best approach,” Kotak said.
“Both Virat and Rohit looked in good touch. They batted well in the nets yesterday. I believe they’re doing well, to be honest,” he added.
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In the first ODI, Rohit Sharma was dismissed after scoring 8 runs and Virat Kohli fell for a duck. The duo could not contribute with the bat as Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc were absolutely challenging. India faced a seven-wicket defeat in Perth and this second ODI is a must win if India wants to level the series and keep the winning hopes alive.
