Players need time to adjust to Virat Kohli's new ODI norms, says Manish Pandey

Courtesy: PTI

New Delhi: Team India skipper Virat Kohli has declared that he will be experimenting in the ODIs to come as he is looking for his team to be fully prepared for the 2019 ICC World Cup.

Addressing changes and hinting at a rotation policy to know the right potential, Kohli had already said that his team was willing to lose a game if that was a need of the hour to learn.

Talking more about the mega event in England, Kohli said, "I think we need to start planning for the 2019 World Cup. You have to prepare 24 months in advance. We are taking that as a challenge and look to try out different things."

"We're going to experiment and embrace that. You can see a lot of changes. All the guys have bought into it. It's all about what gives us more balance."

Manish Pandey, who was included in the 5-match ODI series against Sri Lanka after a wait of 10 months, believes that players will take time to get used to new positions and roles after the skipper announced about the new norms.

Pandey scored an unbeaten 50 batting at No 6, sharing a 101-run partnership with MS Dhoni, who finished 49 not out in the 4th ODI.

The India A skipper, who missed the ICC Champions Trophy in June due to an injury, got to play only after the visitors had wrapped up the series against hosts Sri Lanka 3-0.

The 27-year old had earlier spoken how tough it was for him to get used to the slot after batting at No. 4 earlier for India as well as for Karnataka.

On Thursday, he admitted that KL Rahul, a big hit as an opener, was finding it tough to get used to his new role as a middle-order batsman.

"Rahul is used to batting in the top order and the game is a little different there. It is on him to come out of this situation again, he has to understand maybe how the middle overs go because he always opens the batting and suddenly you are batting after 30 overs," Pandey told HT.

"You need some time. Maybe as many more matches guys play, he will get used to it. Even I was feeling difficult batting at No 6; batting used to come after 40 overs and I was used to batting at No 4 when batting comes after 25 overs."

"So it always takes time. And the faster you learn the better batsman you become. I think that’s what I have done."

The prolific scorer, who hit an ODI century in his debut series against Australia in early 2016, is clear about what he needs to do.

"I have to be ready for whatever spot I get. So, if I get a chance then I need to get some runs and cement that spot. And then if you keep performing and you keep playing better, maybe you come one up in the order. So that will be my goal - to fix a spot or two for myself and stay there and win games for India."