3 reasons why India should not have rested Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli for first two Australia ODIs

After their spectacular victory at the Asia Cup 2023, India are all set to play a three-match ODI series against Australia on home turf. This will be the final series India play before the 2023 ODI World Cup. During a press conference, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit Sharma unveiled the squad for this series.

In the first two ODIs, the seasoned trio of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya will be given a well-deserved rest. KL Rahul will assume the captaincy for these initial encounters, with Ravindra Jadeja appointed as his deputy. All three players, however, will be back for the third ODI.

Here, we take a look at three reasons why India should not have rested Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the first two Australia ODIs:

#3 Need to get runs under their belt

Rohit Sharma was in good form in Asia Cup

During the Asia Cup, Rohit Sharma notched up three consecutive half-centuries: an unbeaten 74 against Nepal, 56 against Pakistan, and 53 against Sri Lanka.

Notably, his approach marked a departure from India's strategy in the previous World Cup as Rohit exhibited a greater sense of purpose in the early overs. Hence, it would have been better if he had continued testing himself against a strong Australian bowling attack.

Virat Kohli appeared to have hit his stride against Pakistan with a superb century, and he, too, should have given himself more matches to get into the zone against Australia on favorable batting pitches.

#2 Team cohesion

In the Asia Cup, the Indian team functioned like a well-oiled machine. Batters understood their roles, which was evident in the innings played by players in varying conditions and situations.

While Rohit managed to play in more matches than Virat Kohli, he set the tone early in the innings. Kohli was calm and assured in his knock against Pakistan, and therefore, resting both these players for the first couple of matches against Australia might not have been the right move.

Both Kohli and Rohit have impressive records against Australia, and a dominant series could have benefited them in the World Cup.

#1 Testing attacking strokeplay

Australia would have tested the hosts' batting approach

The three matches in the upcoming ODI series will be played in Mohali, Indore, and Rajkot. The pitches in these matches are expected to favor batters, and considering the series between South Africa and Australia, high scores are anticipated.

Australia will field their full-strength squad and they will challenge the Indian bowling attack. Therefore, the presence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli could have provided the management with valuable insights into how the top order would respond to imposing totals.

However, it is now up to a relatively young batting order to set the tone in the first two games of the series, with the selectors hoping that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will find their form in the third match.