India’s stand-in captain feels Boland Park pitch could have something for slower bowlers, and both Ashwin and Chahal are likely to get a chance
“In the last 14-15 months, I have batted at No. 5, No. 4, different positions,” Rahul said on the eve of the first ODI in Paarl. “That’s what the team needed of me then. Now I think with Rohit [Sharma, the newly-appointed ODI captain and opener] not being here, I would bat at the top of the order.”
Since January 2020, Rahul has scored 554 runs in ten matches, at an average of 69.25 and a strike rate of 109.92, while batting at No. 4 or lower.
“We don’t want to be a team that is very predictable,” he said. “There might be games where I have to bat in the middle-order or the lower order because that’s what the team needs. I might have to open the batting at some time, which I’m okay with, and all of us in the team understand that. In a team game, everyone needs to be flexible as per the team plan or the team strategy. Everyone will have to be ready for certain things that the team wants them to do.”
“We practised a couple of days at Boland Park and the pitch does look like it might offer a lot more for spinners than what we got in the Test series,” Rahul said. “We have quality spinners. Ashwin is coming back into the one-day team and we all know what quality he brings in. Chahal has been doing it for years now and he has been a great performer for us. If there’s any assistance from the pitch, I know that these two will really exploit it.
“The sixth bowling option in white-ball cricket nowadays is really important and we are trying to develop that. Venkatesh Iyer has come into the side and we will give him that chance”
KL Rahul
“Hopefully, in the first two games, like I said the pitch does look like it might offer a little bit of spin. So yeah, they become really important for us.”
Iyer made his India debut during the T20I series against New Zealand in November but is yet to play an ODI. In the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy, he scored 379 runs at an average of 63.16 and a strike rate of 133.92. With the ball, he sent down nine-to-ten overs in most games and picked up nine wickets at an economy rate of 5.75.
“The sixth bowling option in white-ball cricket nowadays is really important and we are trying to develop that,” Rahul said. “Venkatesh Iyer has come into the side and we will give him that chance. He has done decently well for us in the two or three games he played against New Zealand. In the IPL also he had done well. So he gives us that option as the sixth bowler.
“Fast-bowling allrounders are always an asset and we’re always looking for fast-bowling allrounders. They balance the team out really well, so very excited about Venkatesh Iyer. It’s a great opportunity for him in South Africa and he’s looking really good in the nets.”
Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo