Thiruvananthapuram (Keralam) [India], September 26 (ANI): Team India bowling coach Morne Morkel said that the team is “fortunate” to have the experience of legendary cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, as the Men in Blue brace themselves for a three-match ODI series against West Indies at home.
The first ODI of the three-match series against West Indies will be played on Sunday, with the series marking the much-awaited return of ODI specialists Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to Indian colours once again.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Team India bowling coach Morne Morkel said the experience of senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be valuable for the team, adding that their guidance and game knowledge can help captain Shubman Gill and other players. He said India are fortunate to have experienced campaigners who can contribute to team discussions.
“It's always great to have that experience back in the team, to guide Shubman as well. I must say Shubman has done an exceptional job so far leading the team. But I'm always a big believer in senior players and how they shape the team. I think different players in the team will feel more comfortable speaking to a certain senior individual and we're quite fortunate that we've got a lot of experience in that. So, if Virat or Rohit are leading the conversation, there's a lot of game time and a lot of experience in those conversations that can only be great for the team. We are quite fortunate that we've got that experience with the senior players,” he said.
In ODIs, Rohit is India's third-highest run-getter and century-scorer, with 11,895 runs in 288 matches and 280 innings at an average of 48.95, including 34 centuries and 62 fifties.
Meanwhile, with 14,941 runs in 314 ODIs and 302 innings at an average of 58.59 and 54 centuries and 79 fifties, Virat is one of the finest-ever ODI batters.
Notably, India suffered a 1-2 defeat in their previous ODI series against England in England in July and will look to bounce back with a convincing series win against West Indies at home.
India ODI squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Naman Dhir. (ANI)
Fortunate to have Virat, Rohit’s experience: Morne Morkel ahead of West Indies ODI series
