India's batting coach has his say on opening slot

Good dilemma to have: Rathour on opening combination

In Rohit Sharma, K L Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan, India are spoilt for choice at the top of the order, but batting coach Vikram Rathour on Sunday called it a 'good dilemma' to have.

Rohit had a phenomenal 2019, having struck five centuries in the World Cup.

Dhawan, who made a comeback in the T20 side in the just-concluded three-match series against Sri Lanka, was also among the runs, while Rahul, too, is having a great time with the bat.

"It's a good dilemma to have. Rohit is an obvious choice of course. Both of them (Shikhar and Rahul) are playing well. Shikhar has done well in one- dayers and Rahul is in great form. So we'll deal with it when we have to," Rathour said.

"There are still a couple of days to go. The management will sit down and make the choice," he told reporters ahead of the first ODI against Australia.

The series starts in Mumbai on January 14. The second ODI will be played in Rajkot on January 17 and the third in Bengaluru on January 19.

Asked about the relevance of the series in a T20 World Cup year, Rathour said, "It's a different format and cricket is a game of confidence. So as a batter and bowler, especially when you are playing against a team like Australia, who are one of the better teams in the world, performances do make a difference. It gives you a lot of confidence."

"We'll take it as any other series and playing against one of the better sides in the world, we are looking to do well as a team, looking to perform and win if possible," added the batting coach.