2Nd ODI: Rohit, Kohli In Focus As India Eye Series Win Over England

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Cuttack- The barren run of skipper Rohit Sharma and the selection conundrum that a fit-again Virat Kohli's return poses are the towering obstacles in India's quest for a series win against England in the second ODI here on Sunday.

India had taken a 1-0 lead after their four-wicket win at Nagpur and there was good news for the fans as batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed that Virat Kohli is“completely fit and good to go” for Sunday's game.

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India's batting megastar was in fact first to enter the nets during the optional session on Saturday evening and batted close to an hour with no apparent signs of discomfort. Kohli was ruled out of the first game due to sore right knee.

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The vice-captain Shubman Gill had indicated after the opening game that Kohli could be back for the second match, which will be played at a venue where the latter made a match-winning 85 against the West Indies in 2019.

The Indian team will certainly welcome that sign, but it also raises a challenge in terms of selection.

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Combination questions apart, Kohli too is in need of runs, and he will need a good outing here if he indeed makes a return.

Kohli's form has been under scrutiny in recent months, especially after his struggles in Australia, where he repeatedly nicked deliveries to the slip cordon or wicketkeeper.

His last competitive outing - for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy- too was a low-yielding one, managing just six before getting bowled by Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan.

But One-day cricket is Kohli's staple format, and the 36-year-old needs just 94 runs to become the third batter to reach 14,000 runs in the format after Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234).

Having played 283 ODI innings, Kohli can also become the fastest to this milestone ahead of Tendulkar (350 innings) and Sangakkara (378).

Rohit's Lean Run

Rohit's struggles continued as he perished for just two in the first ODI, failing to shake off the disastrous run in the Test series against Australia.

His dismissal - a mis-timed lofted shot off Liam Livingstone that ballooned to midwicket - reflected his desperation for runs.

The Mumbai man has not scored a fifty in any format since August last year when he made 64 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in the third match.

If Rohit fails to get going in these two ODIs against England, it could raise deeper concerns about his form and future.

Match starts 1:30 pm IST.

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