India vs South Africa: KL Rahul, speaking to the press on the eve of the first ODI, welcomed the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, emphasising their importance in the dressing room. The stand-in captain also discussed the team combination, with the likes of Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad available. Rahul further acknowledged the fading ability of India’s Test batters to play spin.
00:12I haven't seen it yet, but we expect the history of ODIs,
00:19we expect that it will be a good wicket.
00:22The runs will be good.
00:24Duke will be a little factor in the second inning.
00:27These are all things that we can assess yesterday.
00:32We will try and manage our team and tactics in a way,
00:37where it gives us the best chance to win.
00:40Rahul, I have a question.
00:43I have a question.
00:46Yesterday we have practiced with single practice,
00:52trying to visualize how to make some singles.
00:57How important will these singles become in the two courses
01:03to match despite the expectation that it will be a high score.
01:08Taking singles is as important as hitting boundaries in ODI cricket.
01:14And in test match cricket, maybe not as much in T20 format.
01:18That's something that obviously Virat has done so well over his career.
01:23It's something that we have looked at Virat and tried to learn.
01:27Even in the dressing room, we all talk to him and Rohit about how we can get better as batsmen,
01:34how we can rotate the strike a lot more.
01:37Yes, he is obviously the master at doing that in ODI cricket.
01:42We are really happy that he is back in the dressing room.
01:46He is very excited to be here and play the CMC.
01:51Rahul, of course, Mone was here yesterday and he said,
01:56what's the primary goal for the series is to get the momentum back in the series?
02:01Probably he has lost to you.
02:04From that point of view, someone like you can go like Virat and you can see
02:08how important it is and because they have seen these people before,
02:13they can help you out on yourself.
02:15I don't know how they are important.
02:17At what point do you mean?
02:19Their importance at any point is huge.
02:24To have senior players in the team,
02:27obviously makes the dressing room feel a lot more confident
02:32and just having their presence, experience helps out a lot of players in the dressing room
02:38and helps out the team.
02:40So, yeah, really happy that they are here.
02:43Yeah, look, I mean, winning is the most important thing.
02:47So, that's what we are trying to focus on and try and forget what happened a week ago
02:52and focus on the game tomorrow and see how we can put in a collective performance
02:58which helps us get a victory and then go on from here to the next venue
03:02and see how we can do that again and try and win this series.
03:04So, that's the most important thing and that's what we are thinking about
03:08and obviously having a settled team helps and having some similar faces helps the dressing room as well.
03:16So, Rahul, two players, one is Rabindra Delirai,
03:20one is not part of the sport in the community.
03:23Now, the entire action is not there.
03:25So, as one of the leaders of this group,
03:28how are you seeing Rabindra Delirai as an awesome option going forward?
03:31And of course, the Rukhural backward is also that you have seen having a confrontation between Mark and the business.
03:37So, any particular about Rabindra Delirai set to play in the middle order or at the back office and what to do?
03:44Look, Jadu's obviously been part of the Indian team for so many years
03:50and he's done the job time and again and we all know what he can do and what he brings to the table.
03:56Yeah, so, I'm happy to have him back again with the ODI team.
04:02He missed out the Australia series but he was part of the Champions Trophy as well
04:07and was key in us winning that tournament with bat, with ball, with the field.
04:13He's someone who can do everything and he's someone who's always done everything that the team is required of him.
04:19So, having him, having his experience obviously is great for me as a captain or whoever is captaining.
04:26I think it's great to have players that have experienced, have done it time and again.
04:31Ritu obviously, you know, he's a top class player. We've all seen it with whatever opportunities, limited opportunities he's got.
04:42He's really utilised it and shown what he can do.
04:45Unfortunately, you know, in ODI cricket, the top six or top five is quite settled and they're performing really well.
04:55So, you feel bad for players that they don't get enough opportunities.
04:59But also, at the same time, for the guys who are in the team, you feel happy that they're performing and doing the job for the team.
05:05So, it's unfortunate for the players that miss out. So, yeah, now he's gotten his opportunity with a few injuries.
05:12So, yeah, he will get his opportunity at some stage and looking forward to, you know, giving him that chance and, you know, letting him show what he can do and do the job for the team.
05:26And there's never a question mark about his skill and how good he is as a player. It's just about, you know, the right opportunities and the right timing hasn't come.
05:35So, yeah, hopefully this series gives him that opportunity.
05:40Yeah.
05:41Yeah.
05:42They've responded to the show, I think.
05:43Yeah.
05:44I haven't heard anything.
05:45No, I think.
05:46No, I think.
05:47When you see it, you'll know what he has been doing.
05:49No, I think it's about getting better.
05:51Yeah, I think better stuff than that.
05:52Yeah, that's better stuff than that.
05:54Yeah.
05:55When you see it, you'll know what he will be.
05:57I mean we are still discussing.
06:01Obviously, not enough time from Guwahati to come here to have conversations.
06:06and fix our 11.
06:11We've had a few conversations, me and Gigi Baai,
06:15and we'll probably have a little bit of a conversation right now
06:19and finalise it today, probably in the evening,
06:24and let the players know whoever is playing to be ready.
06:27Rishabh obviously missed out due to injury,
06:30and he again is somebody who lives with the team for a lot of time.
06:35And everyone has seen what he brings and what he can do for the team.
06:39Again, like I answered him,
06:42the players who are already performing in the team,
06:46sometimes you just have to wait for your opportunity.
06:49And tomorrow he will tell you who will be, or who will be back.
06:54But obviously he is good enough to play as a batter as well.
06:57But if he is in the 11th, then obviously he will take the gloves and I'll be in with it.
07:02The team is not a great team,
07:05but he will take the gloves and the team is not a great team.
07:08And the team is not a great team.
07:10But he is not a great team,
07:12but he will be in the same place.
07:14We both have a different format, players and set-ups are different.
07:21We will not carry that thing.
07:26Obviously, the test team will be disappointed and hurt that we could not do good in Guwahati and Calcutta.
07:37But it is important that we focus on this series now.
07:42We will not play a lot from the Champions Trophy.
07:50It will be very important that we will play a rhythm very quickly and try to get that momentum of playing one-day cricket and performing in ODI cricket.
08:01We are all playing, so we will be talking about what will we need to do tactical changes and how we will play with our mindset.
08:10So, we will try and try to do that.
08:14In practice, we have a lot of players.
08:17Is there any number of players?
08:20What do you think, sir?
08:22What do you think?
08:24If they are playing in this year, we will play with the Hobbies.
08:28Yeah.
08:29It's a pretty straightforward point.
08:33But, yeah.
08:35Yeah, pretty straightforward that right, but yeah, just before the announcement, like a day before the announcement is when I was told that the opportunity might come and I might have to leave, so yeah, I have kept in the side before and it's something that's very exciting and yeah,
09:04I look forward to enjoying that responsibility. I've always enjoyed responsibility and go out there and making the right decisions for the team and that's about it. I don't think too much about it. I obviously have Rohit Virat, Jadu, all the senior players around me who will help out and how we've all played our cricket is to think of it as we're all leaders and we try and do the best for the team and I think yeah, that continues.
09:34whether I'm captain or someone else is captain, it's always a collective effort and collective effort to doing something in a direction that we have a bigger goal and what the right direction is for ODI team and for Indian cricket, that's what we all try to do.
09:49No, there's no regret of not trying a different shot. There's a regret of executing what I did.
09:56and it's a test format and it's...
10:03and at the stage that I was playing there was only like it was the last few overs of the day and I don't think that's the right time for me to try and step down and hit the bowler for a moment.
10:10Yeah, I mean, looking back, yes, maybe I would have, but it was only the second time for me to try and step down and hit the bowler for a boundary.
10:33Yeah, I mean, looking back, yes, maybe I would have, but it was only the second ball of the over and it was just, yeah, I mean, if I had stepped down and gotten out,
10:45maybe that would have been a question mark in my own head as to whether that was right or wrong.
10:50So, at that point in time, I think defending was the right option to do, which I didn't do well enough. So, that's what I take away from that business.
11:02I think I think, Mr. Raoul, what happened was that here for the boy Tashkar is saying,
11:07he says, there's a dream of being at the beach in New York and he says, there's something.
11:09What happens?
11:10No, what happens?
11:11Sir, I'm going to take it to the beach.
11:12What time?
11:13Mr. Raoul, it's a pregunt.
11:14It's a joke.
11:15That's true.
11:16Okay.
11:17It's a joke.
11:18But you are a joke so, can you come and get a joke, what kind of life has gained in the winter?
11:23Obviously sir, we all play under them, we all have a fan, and we all play together so we are all friends, friendship and to know someone like MS is a very happy opportunity to know someone as big as MS and someone who is so successful as an Indian player or we all respected him as a human player.
11:53So, if they will come to the match, the crowd will increase the excitement of the crowd, so we will also be happy to play here and hopefully we can win the game, put up a good performance and entertain the crowd and MS Dhoni, he will also feel happy that we won the game.
12:16It's all good.
12:18Rukke, sir, Rukke.
12:20How do you win in number 6 or 7 for Finisher?
12:24How do you win in number 6 or 7 for Finisher?
12:26As I said, I am not finalised, you are exactly 11, but I will be batting in the same position, so I am playing in number 6 with the Champions Trophy.
12:36So, I will be batting there and obviously there are all-rounders, Jadija, Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy, this is all options for us.
12:48So, we will see what the best 11 is and we will make that decision in the evening and tomorrow we will tell you.
12:54I will tell you.
12:55Sir, Rukke, Rukke, Rukke, Rukke.
12:56You will get everyone.
12:58Those who we will tell you will give you the answer.
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