New Delhi, July 16 (IANS) Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara believes the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the ODI series against England will provide the Indian dressing room with much-needed confidence after a disappointing 4-0 defeat in the preceding T20I series. Reflecting on India’s struggles, Pujara attributed the batting unit’s difficulties to its lack of experience in English conditions and expressed hope that the presence of two seasoned campaigners would help the team respond positively in the 50-over format.

India’s young batting group came under scrutiny after failing to consistently counter England’s pace attack during the T20Is, with several batters troubled by the short ball. Pujara, however, felt the challenge went beyond technique and stemmed largely from unfamiliarity with white-ball cricket in England.

“If you look at this Indian batting group, they had IPL experience but very little white-ball experience in English conditions,” Pujara told JioStar.

He explained that success in England demands a different range of scoring options than those commonly used on batting-friendly surfaces elsewhere, saying, “In England, you can’t rely only on six-hitting. You need to play more flat-batted shots, access straight boundaries and use options like the upper cut and cuts over point against the short ball. We didn’t see enough of those shots, and I think that was largely down to a lack of experience in these conditions.”

Pujara also widened the discussion to the balance between bat and ball in T20 cricket, arguing that conditions should offer bowlers greater assistance to preserve the contest, as he stated, “Even in the IPL, you don’t want matches where teams can easily chase 260. There has to be something for the bowlers.”

He believes increasingly powerful and inventive batting has made it essential for pitches to provide at least some early assistance.

“In T20 cricket, the margin for error is already very small, especially on flat pitches with short boundaries, while batters continue to get stronger and more innovative. That’s why it’s important to have pitches that offer bowlers a little assistance, whether through some turn or a bit of movement in the first two or three overs,” Pujara added.

Looking ahead at the ongoing ODI series, Pujara said the return of Rohit and Kohli would extend beyond their individual contributions with the bat, bringing invaluable composure to a relatively inexperienced squad.

“What Rohit and Virat will bring is calmness and confidence, and that only comes with experience. The T20I squad lacked experience, so having players who have consistently performed against England across Tests, ODIs and T20Is will give the dressing room belief because they know how to win,” he opined.

“It won’t be easy. England have identified certain areas they can target, and after a 4-0 T20I series defeat, there will naturally be some pressure on the team. But the confidence Rohit and Virat bring can rub off on the rest of the squad. They have also had time to prepare before the ODI series, and that preparation should help them perform well. I hope they have a strong series,” he added.

–IANS

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