Dhoni is ideal number 4: Rohit

Differing with his skipper Virat Kohli's views, India's ODI vice-captain Rohit Sharma 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 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.

"Personally, I always feel that Dhoni batting at number four will be ideal for the team but we have got Ambati Rayudu who has done really well now at number four. It totally depends on what the captain and coach think about it. Personally asking, I would be happy if Dhoni bats at four," Rohit, who scored 133 off 129 deliveries, said at the post-match conference.

Kohli had earlier expressed his preference for Rayudu to other players for the contentious position.

"If you look at his (Dhoni's) overall batting, his strike rate is around 90. Today was a different scenario, when he came out to bat we had already lost three wickets and Australia were bowling pretty well. You just cannot go out and get 100-run partnership easily. So we took a little bit of time and even I did not score as quickly as I normally do," Rohit said.

"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. So, we had to play dot balls and build a partnership," he explained.

Rohit denied suggestions that India's middle-order is light weight.

"We knew we can put some of the bowlers under pressure. Unfortunately, we kept losing wickets at the wrong time; the first three wickets and then when we were going strong with that partnership, unfortunately MS (Dhoni) got out and then we knew it was going to be hard.

"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."

Asked about Dhoni's dismissal, which would have probably been overturned if the review had been available, Rohit said: "Going for a review can be tricky. We don't even have 15 seconds to talk to the batter, only five-six 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.

"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."