Vadodara:
Former India batsman Ambati Rayudu feels that his return to Virat Kohli’s form in the Champions Trophy has further strengthened his already strong batting line-up. Eight teams have reached the semi -finals of the tournament after continuously winning against Bangladesh and arch -rivals Pakistan in Bharat Group A, led by Rohit Sharma. Kohli scored a winning century in the match against Pakistan and contributed 22 runs against Bangladesh in his first match. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill is performing brilliantly in the top order and he scored a century against Bangladesh before playing 46 runs against Pakistan. He has scored 147 runs in the tournament so far.
“Balance of Virat’s form strengthened”
Rayudu said on Friday, ‘I think the main strength of India is the overall balance of the team. Our top-order batting has been fantastic and our already strong batting line-up has been further strengthened by Virat’s form. The former batsman said that it would be interesting to see how India faces New Zealand spinners in their next match. He said, ‘It would be really interesting to see them against New Zealand spinners. This will be a big test for them. Moving forward, this match against New Zealand will beautifully prepare things for India before going to the semi -finals. Before preparing for the semi -finals, the Blue team will take on New Zealand in their final group match on March 2.
“The British have a huge attitude”
When England were early out of the tournament, Rayudu said that the middle order of the English team could not meet the spot under the circumstances of the subcontinent. He said, ‘No, I think England batting and middle order batting against spin have not been very good and we have seen this in the series against India. Therefore, his struggle in the Champions Trophy was also clear. But the surprising thing was that he did not even try to get adapted to the circumstances or stay on the basic things.
Former Indian batsman said, ‘He was very stubborn in terms of his sports style. And finally, it did not prove to be so good in the circumstances of the subcontinent. Rayudu, who is representing India Masters in the International Masters League, feels that in the second phase of the tournament to be held in Vadodara, D.Y. of Navi Mumbai. There will be different circumstances compared to the Patil Stadium.
He said, ‘I think it is going to be quite challenging, because the surface is different. Even in the practice session, we are trying to guess what the wicket is going to do in the game. Hence this D.Y. The offering offered by Patil is quite different. I think it is more about the ball to take time or hit the field at intervals. Perhaps, you know, you never know. The wicket can be amazing and can also be very, very good. We are really waiting for it.
(Tagstotranslate) Afghanistan (T) India (T) New Zealand (T) ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (T) Cricket
