IRE vs IND: Virat Kohli puts forth tactic to experiment with the Indian T20 middle order

India and Ireland crossed swords yesterday at the Malahide Cricket Ground in Dublin. Virat Kohli and his boys were clinical and brushed aside the hosts by 76 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match T20I series. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan helped their team rack up a massive score of 208 on the board following which the spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal strangled the opposition batsmen.

However, the visiting team resorted to some changes in their usual batting order. Kohli, who generally bats in the top four, demoted himself down to number six. He came to bat in the last over and perished for a two-ball duck. Meanwhile, the Indian skipper said that the team will experiment with the middle-order, and . that would carry on even during the upcoming England series next month.

Importance of flexibility for Virat

“The middle order is something we can experiment with in T20 games. I’ve got a good mindset of who’s batting where so in the next few games, not just the Ireland ones but also against England, we will look to be flexible and use them as and when the situation requires them.

We will look to surprise the opposition and we’ve asked the batsmen to have that flexibility and they have responded very well,” Kohli was quoted as saying in the post-match presentation ceremony.

KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik, who were in prime form in the IPL, didn’t find a place in the eleven, which raised a few eyebrows. However, Kohli mentioned that the players, who didn’t get an opportunity in the first match, will play next time around.

”We are using these two games to play everyone, and I have already told them that the guys who didn’t play will get an opportunity in the next game,” he added.

Washington Sundar, Umesh Yadav, and Siddarth Kaul are the other members who didn’t get a game.  The second match will be played at the same venue tomorrow on July 29.

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