India's tag as favourites at the World Cup has taken a hit after defeats to Australia in the ongoing ODI series (AP Photo)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi posted a message for Virat Kohli on Tuesday
- Bedi had said Virat Kohli is visibly rough when MS Dhoni is not part of the playing XI
- India will face Australia in the deciding ODI of a five-match series in Delhi on Wednesday
Legendary spinner and former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi has posted a message for Virat Kohli, whom he thinks can find more success with a "calm mind".
Bedi took to Twitter to Tuesday and posted a card with a message that read: "A calm mind is the ultimate weapon against any challenge in life."
"This one is primarily fr @imVkohli with all sincerity & good wishes..!! (sic)," Bedi wrote as the caption.
Bedi's early morning tweet comes a day after he had said Virat Kohli is almost half the captainwithout MS Dhoni playing in the side. The left-arm spinner, who led India to some memorable wins in the past, also added that Kohli looks rough when the senior wicketkeeper-batsman is not playing in the side.
This one is primarily fr @imVkohli with all sincerity & good wishes..!! pic.twitter.com/JgLCcQUrYQ
"I am nobody to comment but we all are wondering that why Dhoni is being rested and his absence was felt yesterday, behind the stumps, with the bat and on the field also. He is almost half a captain," Bedi had told the Press Trust of India.
"Dhoni is not getting any younger, he is no spring chicken either but the team needs him. He has a calming influence on the side. The captain needs him by his side, he is visibly rough without him. It is not a good sign."
India failed to defend a 350-plus target for the first time in their ODI history on Sunday when Australia gunned down 359 with 14 balls to spare to level an ongoing five-match series 2-2 in Mohali.
With MS Dhoni being rested, India missed his services from behind the wickets as young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant struggled with his glovework and was booed by the home crowd.
India bowlers were taken to the cleaners on a dewy evening at the PCA Stadium as Ashton Turner, playing only his second ODI for Australia, took the attack to India's premier white-ball bowlers, including Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Bedi also expressed disappointment at India's experimentation even in their final international assignment at the World Cup. India's middle-order still looks unsettled with the likes of Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, KL Rahul and Pant unsure about their World Cup participation.
"I would personally like them to live in the present. World Cup is still two and a half months away. Just play the game. For the World Cup, we have been experimenting in the last one year and I am not happy with that at all,"Bedi added.
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