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#3 Ambati Rayudu strengthens his case for the World Cup
India in the first innings, with the magnificent inning of 157 from Virat Kohli, reached the tall total of 321/6 in 50 overs. While the Indian captain rightly hogged all the limelight for a spectacular knock, there was another inning which was very important in setting the base for such a total.
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The hosts choosing to bat first lost both their in-form openers earlier than usual. With Shikhar Dhawan out LBW, India found themselves at 40/2 in 8.4 overs and required its much-discussed middle order to stand up and support Virat Kohli. Batting at number four, Ambati Rayudu did just that.
The Hyderabadi batsman rotated the strike early in his innings and struck boundaries when the opportunities appeared. Playing his hand in the 139-run partnership with Captain Kohli, Rayudu scored 73 from 80 balls with eight boundaries. The knock vindicates the belief that Virat has shown in Rayudu and takes India one step closer to solving the middle order puzzle.
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