"I think he will definitely walk into the team" - Dinesh Karthik on KL Rahul's return to the playing XI for India
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik feels KL Rahul will be in the playing XI for Team India in the second ODI against the West Indies after missing the first fixture.
The newly-appointed vice-captain was not available for selection in the series opener in Ahmedabad.
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Ishan Kishan opened the innings alongside Rohit Sharma in the absence of KL Rahul. With Rahul's return and Mayank Agarwal being eligible for selection as well, India have three players to choose from at the top of the order.
The 29-year-old was part of the middle order in the ODI circuit, but found himself facing the new ball on the South African tour. Dinesh Karthik feels Rahul should continue to open the innings.
Terming the decision to replace Ishan Kishan with KL Rahul as fairly straightforward, Karthik said on Cricbuzz:
"I think KL Rahul will definitely walk into the team. If he does come in, which he is, I see him opening the innings. There is no doubt about it, so a pretty straightforward call, I would think."
Rahul played in all three ODIs on the tour of South Africa. Leading the team, he opened the innings alongside Shikhar Dhawan and scored 76 runs while donning an anchor role.
He is expected to come into the side and play an important role at the top of the order.
Several players made some key contributions for India in their six-wicket win in the first ODI, ranging from Chahal's four-fer to Rohit Sharma's brisk half-century.
Speaking about who could potentially make an impact in the second ODI, Shaun Pollock said:
"Chahal would be the key player. Leg-spinner has a massive part to play against the West Indies. I don't think they've been great readers of certain deliveries."
The former Proteas all-rounder continued:
"I think Chahal is now getting confidence, he's back on the Indian shores, he's getting some purchase on the surface. I think those middle overs will be the overs where India will try and once again dictate terms. I'd like to see whether he can do it again and whether his confidence is high enough to be able to have that impact."
The 31-year-old enjoyed the typical subcontinent conditions on offer in the first ODI. He ran through the West Indies batting unit to register figures of 4-49 and was named Player of the Match as well.
"I'm really looking forward to Mohammed Siraj" - Dinesh Karthik on the key player for India in second ODI
Mohammed Siraj spearheaded a pace attack that was relatively inexperienced in the first one-dayer against the West Indies. While the 27-year-old was playing only his second ODI, he was the leader of the pack.
He bowled a fine spell with the new ball in the powerplay, picking up one wicket at the expense of only 13 runs in five overs. Karthik feels Siraj will be a key player in the second ODI.
The 36-year-old said:
"I'm really looking forward to Mohammad Siraj. He bowled really well with new ball, got it to swing and come back in as well. If there is something in the wicket, obviously he provides a lot. So, I'll be closely looking at Siraj."
After 10 overs, West Indies are 39/1
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Powerplay bowling in ODIs has been a huge concern for India over the last two years. Siraj and Prasidh Krishna emerged as a breath of fresh air with their energy and ability to extract extra bounce and movement off the pitch.
India will take on West Indies in the second ODI of the series in Ahmedabad tomorrow (Wednesday) starting 1:30 pm IST.