Mumbai, Indian captain Virat Kohli said that the batsmen may have been a bit too respectful to the Australian bowlers after his side fell to a massive 10-wicket loss in the first ODI between the two sides at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday. Australian skipper Aaron Finch and David Warner ensured that the visitors chased down a target of 255 without losing a wicket.
“Totally outplayed in all three departments. It’s a very strong Australian team, and if you don’t play well enough, they will hurt you,” said Kohli in the post-match presentation ceremony.
“In phases, we were too respectful against their bowlers, and didn’t take the game by the scruff of the neck. It’s another challenge to bounce back from here,” he said.
Kohli had come in at number four instead of his usual spot of number three, where KL Rahul had batted. It meant that he came in only in the 28th over with India having lost Rohit Sharma and Rahul and was dismissed after making just 16 runs. He said that the decision was made to accommodate the in-form Rahul in the lineup. The 121-run partnership that Rahul shared with Shikhar Dhawan ended up being India’s highest and one of the few passages of the game where the hosts looked comfortable.
“We’ve had this discussion in the past. Because of the way KL has batted, we have tried to have him bat up in the lineup. We might have to think about this. Every now and then, it’s about putting people up there and testing them. People need to relax and not panic. Today was one of the days it didn’t come off,” said Kohli.
The second ODI will be played on Friday at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
