Captain Rohit Sharma said not too much should be read into Rishabh Pant batting at No.3 in Saturday's warm-up game against Bangladesh in New York as the team is yet to "nail" its batting order for this T20 World Cup.
On a pitch that seemed two-paced with strokeplay not being too easy when bowlers got their lines and lengths right, India rode on Pant's 32-ball 53 and all-rounder Hardik Pandya's late cameo (40 not out off 23 balls) to post 182/5. The bowlers then ensured the struggling Bangladeshi batting line-up's task became tougher as India restricted them to 122/9, winning by 60 runs.
Pant at No.3 gives the team management a scope to include both Pandya and fellow seamer all-rounder Shivam Dube in the XI. According to Rohit though, sending the keeper-batter at No.3 was only to give him an opportunity.
"It was just to give him an opportunity. We have not really nailed what the batting unit will look like (going forward in this World Cup). Even our bowlers did pretty well. So, all in all, we're happy with how things went," the skipper said later.
Left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh shone with the new ball, finishing with 2/12 in three overs, a performance which pleased Rohit. "He has shown us previously that he has the skills upfront. He has got a very good skillset at the death too," Rohit emphasised.
