With an inexperienced, unsettled middle-order, their have been calls for Rahane's inclusion in the side. Ahead of the second ODI against Lanka, skipper Rohit offered an explanation for keeping his Mumbai state-mate on the bench.
India made just one change to it's playing XI for the second ODI against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Young Washington Sundar made his debut, taking Kuldeep Yadav's place in the side.
While Yadav's omission is debatable, considering he didn't bowl a single over in India's defeat in the first ODI, Ajinkya Rahane's absence from the playing XI raised a few eyebrows too.
Follow live coverage of the second ODI between India and Sri Lanka HERE
Team India lost the first ODI in Dharamsala largely because of a poor outing with the bat. Getting all-out for merely 112, on the back of a Mahendra Singh Dhoni special, the hosts' vulnerability against the moving ball was exposed to its limits.
With an inexperienced, unsettled middle-order, there have been calls for Rahane's inclusion in the side. The Test vice-captain is a seasoned campaigner and was in the middle of an impressive run in ODIs before he was dropped.
Ahead of the second ODI against Lanka, skipper Rohit Sharma offered an explanation for keeping his Mumbai state-mate on the bench.
"It's quite tempting to play him, considering the kind of skill he possesses," said Rohit during the toss on Wednesday. "But we, as a management, have decided that he is our top-order batsman. We don't want to shuffle with his position. It isn't ideal to play around with anybody's position. It's an opportunity for youngsters to step in."
While Rohit does have a fair point, one wonders how long the management will wait before realising it doesn't make sense to keep such a quality batsman on the bench. Irrespective his batting position.
Rohit lost a second successive toss on Wednesday in Mohali, with his counterpart Thisara Perera opting to bowl first.
Here are the playing XIs of both the teams
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Sri Lanka: Thisara Perera (c), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Sachith Pathirana, Suranga Lakmal, Akila Dananjaya, Nuwan Pradeep.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "India's")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}