Player Ratings, Yuzvendra Chahal, South Africa Vs India 2018, India Player, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawa
India player ratings: Ajinkya Rahane scored 79 in the first ODI in Durban. Photo Credit: BCCI.

There is no doubt about the fact that Team India has been in sensational form in the recent past. However, one problem which has persisted for the Men in Blue has been their middle order woes, especially in the limited overs format. The team management hasn’t quite managed to field a consistent middle order combination which has contributed them runs over a long period. Ajinkya Rahane who was part of all the 5 matches during the ODI series in South Africa couldn’t quite make full use of the opportunity. Commentator Harsha Bhogle felt that Rahane deserves a long run at the No 4 spot in ODI’s.

After the ouster from Yuvraj Singh following the ODI series in the Caribbean last year as many as six batsmen have been tried at this position. Rahane did stitch together a match-winning partnership with captain Virat Kohli in the opening ODI. However, he failed to replicate it all through the series and had a poor run after that. Meanwhile, Bhogle also expressed his views on the importance of Suresh Raina and his return to the national team.

Ajinkya Rahane Should be Given a Longer Run at No 4 in ODI Cricket Feels Harsha Bhogle
(Photo by Saikat Paul/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“I think we need to give Rahane some more time. He needs time to structure his game at number four. I would have sent Rahane off to India from South Africa straight to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy in order to get used to batting at number four. Even if he maintains a strike rate of 90 at number four he will be considered successful in the limited over format of the game,” said Bhogle during the Q&A session.

Raina’s comeback

Raina was impressive in the T20I series in South Africa. The southpaw was making a comeback after a lay off for around 12 months. Bhogle was pretty impressed with his form. While he hailed for Kedhar Jadhav his impressive showing in the limited opportunities he has got so far, he still backed Raina as the more probable choice.

“I’m enthused by the form of Suresh Raina. Jadhav and Raina will provide added competition for the sixth spot. To be fair to Jadhav, he did everything that was asked of him but Raina is the complete package. I see Raina batting long-term for India if it all comes down to batting at number six. I feel MS Dhoni should still be the number five batsman despite Kepler Wessel’s saying he’s better off at number seven,” he was quoted as saying by SportsCafe.

Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina (Credits: BCCI)

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