Virat Kohli was seen bowling to his captain, Rohit Sharma, in the nets ahead of a vital game against England.
Virat Kohli was seen bowling to his captain, Rohit Sharma, in the nets ahead of a vital game against England. Virat might be practising to be ready to roll his arms and chip in with a few overs if required during the game. Rohit Sharma is the ideal candidate to bowl to since he is in form and will test Virat’s bowling skills precisely.
India’s combination is disturbed due to the injury to their premium all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, who sustained a wound on his left ankle while bowling against Bangladesh a few days back. The latest update is that he won’t be available for the England game and might miss a few more following games. Virat Kohli completed his over when Hardik went off the field during the first innings against Bangladesh in Pune.
India played Mohammed Shami and dropped Shardul Thakur, with Suryakumar Yadav taking the No. 6 spot in the next game against New Zealand. It left India with five specialists in the bowling department, leaving no room for error. However, a bowler can have a bad day any time, so it’s necessary to have a sixth bowling option available.
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Hardik’s absence left India with no alternative. While India didn’t suffer while having only five bowlers, England have a formidable batting unit. They will go hard after the bowlers and compel the captain to look for alternatives.
The India top order has barely bowled in international cricket lately. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer were hardly required to bowl, as India had ample depth and options available in the bowling department. However, the Men in Blue are now left with fewer options after Hardik’s injury.
Hardik used to be the third seamer, with Shardul Thakur being the fourth. India also had at least two spinners in the team. Hence, they never needed a seventh option who could bowl.
Virat Kohli bowling to Rohit Sharma pic.twitter.com/Le6rSzPisV
— Ansh Shah (@asmemesss) October 27, 2023
Virat Kohli used to bowl a few overs during the initial phase of his career and is sharpening his skills again to be a useful part-timer. Kohli gave throwdowns to Rohit Sharma in the nets to be match-ready as a bowler. He bowled medium pace to Rohit during the net session.
Virat used to be a decent bowler and can add value in the absence of Hardik Pandya. However, India will hope they don’t require his bowling services in the match, and five original ones do the job. India will face England in Lucknow on Sunday (October 29).
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