The
Indian cricket team has so far done the athletic equivalent of running against
the clock on this Sri Lanka tour. With the hosts in disarray, the visitors have
set and accomplished their own targets.
Virat
Kohli has led India in just 31 ODIs -- 14 of them since taking over from MS
Dhoni in January. These are early days, but a good opportunity to try out a few
things.
The
Indian skipper has urged players not to look at the opposition in Sri Lanka but
instead play with intensity. With this ODI series being the first step towards
the 2019 World Cup, all players are eager to grab the chances they get.
In
the first ODI in Dambulla on Sunday, which India won by nine wickets, Virat
Kohli set some of the plans in motion.
Choosing
to bowl on a good pitch, he asked Hardik Pandya, and not Jasprit Bumrah, to
share the new ball with Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
The
young all-rounder, who made an impact in Tests, took a while to settle down,
and bowled only six overs. But the skipper believes he could provide the
X-factor going forward.
Kohli
has also taken the big decision to keep out Ajinkya Rahane and bring KL Rahul
at No 4 as both openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are in fine nick. If
either fail, it will be interesting to see if he drafts in Rahane as opener or
moves Rahul up.