We are forced to play third pacer whenever Hardik isn't available: Kohli

India captain Virat Kohli Tuesday stressed on the importance of all-rounder Hardik Pandya's presence in the ODI side in order to get the ideal bowling combination for the World Cup.

Pandya has been suspended pending inquiry after his sexist comments on a TV chat show and already the Indian team have had issues with their third specialist pacer ahead of the five-match ODI against New Zealand starting Wednesday.

Rookies Khaleel Ahmed and Mohammed Siraj both got a fair amount of stick against Australia in the first two ODIs before Hardik's replacement Vijay Shankar bowled a steady spell of six overs in the series decider in Melbourne.

When asked if there can be an ideal bowling combination, the skipper said: "Depends on the all-rounder to be honest. If you see the strongest sides in the world, they have two all-rounders at the least, some sides have three, so that gives you a lot of bowling options."
"Look winning is always going to be a very important factor but the main thing is not to be desperate at this stage. There needs to be a good atmosphere in the change room, there needs to be calmness and collective effort towards just refining ourselves as a team approaching the World Cup."