IND v WI 2018: Hopefully he has solved all the mysteries of no.4 slot, says Rohit Sharma on Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu smashed a 81-ball 100 in the fourth ODI at Brabourne Stadium.

Rayudu played a fantastic knock at the CCI | AP

Having seen the best part of his 81-ball 100 in the fourth ODI of the ongoing five-match series against West Indies on Monday, October 29 from a very close quarter, Rohit Sharma showered huge praise on the admirably dependable and solid Ambati Rayudu, before expressing hope in him to be India's solution to the longstanding "mysteries of (the) no.4 slot". 

Batting first India piled up a mountain of runs, where on the back of Rohit Sharma's masterclass knock of 162 and Ambati Rayudu's brilliant ton, they reached a highly imposing 377/5 in the allotted 50 overs, before eventually winning the game at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai by 224 runs. 

"I think (it's a) very important (knock). Hopefully he has solved all the mysteries of number 4. I guess till the World Cup, there won't be any talk of number 4," said Rohit at the post-match press conference, "He (Rayudu) batted brilliantly because at that point a big partnership was needed and it was a perfect platform for him also to showcase what he's got."

"There was pressure, of course, losing top two batsmen and building a partnership was important. So it was a pressure innings and I thought he responded well to that situation," he added, "He batted freely, once he got to 50 he started playing shots. We have known Rayudu for a long time and he can produce innings like this. That's probably the reason we got him at number four and he has not disappointed," 

"Whatever opportunities he has got since Asia Cup in this series he has grabbed it with both hands," he signed off.  

India, now, leads the five-match ODI series, 2-1.

The fifth ODI takes place at Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, November 1.

(Inputs from PTI)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 30 Oct, 2018

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