"I don't think their place in the team should have been a question": Sanjay Bangar on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], December 7 (ANI): Former cricketer Sanjay Bangar stated that veteran Indian cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's place in the ODI team should be questioned. Bangar's statement came after Team India won the three-match ODI series 2-1 against South Africa on Saturday.
Team India registered a dominating nine-wicket win in the third and final ODI against South Africa in Visakhapatnam to clinch the series. While chasing a target of 271 runs, Yashasvi Jaiswal scored his maiden ODI hundred, and Rohit and Kohli scored half-centuries to guide India to victory.
Speaking on 'Cricket Live', JioStar expert Sanjay Bangar praised India's top order for displaying a terrific batting performance in the third ODI.
"It was a terrific batting display by all three Indian batters. They made full use of the conditions and the dew. What they missed in the first two matches, they got a better pitch here and made the most of it. Both, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal were restrained. They didn't try too hard, just played themselves in. Rohit knew he won't play an international game for 30-40 days, and Yashasvi was finding his rhythm in 50-over cricket. Then when Virat Kohli came in, he decided to give some entertainment. The fluency we saw was terrific to watch. He seems to be on top of his game," Bangar said.
The former Indian cricketer Bangar also spoke about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's presence in the Indian team.
"I don't think the place of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the team should have been a question. Look at what they have done over so many years. They have retired from two formats, so it's obvious they might take just a couple of sessions to get back into action, because they have done it so often. They don't need to play as many matches as a younger player. Once they are there, once they are hungry and fit, you want players of that quality," Bangar said.
You have to treat them differently and give them space. When they are on song, you see the difference. Their sheer presence changes the dressing room atmosphere. After the humiliating loss in the Test series, they must have spoken to the boys. They helped put things behind and play with freedom and authority, giving the whole team supreme confidence," he added.
Coming to the match, India won the toss and put SA into bat first.
The Proteas lost Ryan Rickelton for a duck, and an 113-run stand between Quinton de Kock (106 in 89 balls, with eight fours and six sixes) and skipper Temba Bavuma (48 in 67 balls, with five fours) followed.
Quinton also had a 54-run stand with Matthew Breetzke (24 in 23 balls, with two sixes), and the Proteas stumbled to five wickets down for 199 runs, with Prasidh Krishna (4/66) causing some mayhem.
Dewald Brevis (29 in 29 balls, with two fours and a six) and Marco Jansen (17 in 15 balls, with two fours) tried to counter-attack, but a fine spell from Kuldeep (4/41) sunk them to 270 all out in 47.5 overs from a solid position of 234/5.
India chased down the target in 39.5 overs, with Rohit (75 in 73 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) putting on a 155-run stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who got his maiden ODI ton. Jaiswal, who ended with 116* in 121 balls, with 12 fours and three sixes, had put on another century stand with Virat (65* in 45 balls, with six fours and three sixes) to end the series dominantly. (ANI)