At home, KL Rahul is a different player, says Sunil Gavaskar

After a shocking 0-2 loss in the T20I series against Australia, India were set to take the visitors on in the five-match ODI series with the first to be played in Hyderabad on Saturday. Unlike in the T20Is, the Men in Blue are expected not to experiment much in the 50-overs format as the ICC World Cup is not far. The hosts will also be looking to return to their winning ways that have been disrupted by two back-to-back T20I series loss recently.

In the 50-overs format, all eyes will be on who grabs the No.4 batting position for that is yet to see a name cementing itself for the mega tournament. Ambati Rayudu has done decently in that position of late (he scored a 90 against NZ in his last match) but KL Rahul’s return to form in the recent T20Is makes it look the race is still on.

It’s Rayudu versus Rahul for No.4

“He (Rayudu) will have a competition from KL Rahul, who has shown a pleasing return to form in the just-concluded T20I series, On the familiar pitches at home, Rahul looks a completely different batsman as he dominates the opposition bowlers almost at will,” former India captain Sunil Gavaskar wrote in a piece for Times of India.

Rahul slammed 50 and 47 in the two matches in Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru to end up as India’s highest scorer in the series though none of his two knocks could give India a win.

Gavaskar also had a few words of praise for the Australian side which tasted victory in a series in India after a long time. “The Australians will be buoyed by their T20I series win, their first win in the subcontinent after a long time. Glenn Maxwell was simply superb as he smashed a century of the highest class.” The Australian middle-order batsman hit an unbeaten 113 in the second game to help Australia overhaul a steep target of 191 to back his well-crafted 46 in the first game. Maxwell was adjudged the Man of the Series.

India and Australia have met 131 times in ODIs so far with the former trailing 47-74 with 10 matches remaining inconclusive.

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