Differing with his skipper Virat Kohli's views, India's ODI vice-captain Rohit Sharma on Saturday said Mahendra Singh Dhoni is "ideal" for the number four slot, as the team works on getting the batting order right for the World Cup.
Rohit added it was his personal view and that the captain and the coach will have the final say on the batting slots.
Dhoni on Saturday made a slow 51 from 96 balls in India's 34-run defeat to Australia in the first ODI, sparking another debate about his current form in a World Cup year.
Kohli had earlier expressed his preference for Rayudu to other players for the contentious position.
Chasing 289 for a win, India were at one stage reduced to 4 for 3 before Rohit, who scored his 22nd ODI hundred, and Dhoni put on a 141-run partnership for the fourth wicket. But India, in the end, fell short.
"I took my time too because we wanted to get that partnership and losing another wicket at that point, the game would have been dead there and then. So, we had to play dot balls and build a partnership," Rohit explained.
Rohit, who had described Dhoni as the "guiding light of the group" ahead of the match, also said that the former captain was ready to bat anywhere for the team.
"It is pretty simple with him and he does not complicate things. We spoke about building a partnership because it was crucial at that point," he said.
India's top-order was exposed after they lost Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan early on, as well as Ambati Rayudu for a two-ball duck. Rohit said it put pressure on other batsmen to build a partnership but denied suggestions that India's middle-order is light weight.
"These things happen, these are the games that will teach you a lot as a batsman, to combat these kind of games when you lose wickets. But we have said enough about learning now. It is time to go and execute, take the pressure and absorb it,” said Rohit.
Rohit's hundred put him equal with former captain Sourav Ganguly, but he rued all his centuries in Australia went in vain.
Asked about Dhoni's dismissal, which would have probably been overturned if DRS had been available, Rohit said, "Taking DRS can be tricky. We don't even have 15 seconds to talk to the batter, only 5-7 seconds by the time they walk over.
"Rayudu said he thought the ball was drifting down leg side and I thought the same. We don't think about these decisions once they have happened, and you cannot always be right,” explained Rohit. "It is important to use DRS well. Maybe once we reach Adelaide, we will talk about it. It is a learning for us, but what's done is done."
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