India vs England 2016-17: Talking points from the 3rd ODI

India’s opening woes continues

In Rohit’s absence, India’s opening has been woeful in ODIs

The audition to see who will partner Rohit Sharma in the Champions Trophy is turning into a nightmare for Virat Kohli. After replacing the ineffective Shikhar Dhawan with Ajinkya Rahane, Kohli would have wanted an answer in this game but for the third time in this series, India’s openers fell cheaply.

Rahane could only manage 1 but was even lucky to get that as he nicked off the first ball of the innings but no appeal meant he wasn’t given out. KL Rahul followed suit not too longer as all three openers that India have tried in the series have failed.

What made KL Rahul’s dismissal all the more concerning was the fact that there was no need for it. With Virat Kohli striking the ball well, there was no need for Rahul to be over-ambitious and try to send the ball out of the park.

Although Rohit is a definite starter as soon as he recovers from his injury, his opening partner for the Champions Trophy is still up in the air as India will have to rely on domestic performances and gut feeling to determine who it will be.