“Playing Virat and Rohit would not have given us too many answers”, says Rahul Dravid after India losses 2nd ODI against West Indies.
India made significant changes to their lineup during the second ODI against the West Indies. Skipper Rohit Sharma and seasoned batsman Virat Kohli were given a break, and the team, under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, faced a tough challenge, ultimately losing to the home team by six wickets at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday, July 29.
Critics were quick to point out that resting Rohit and Kohli might have been a contributing factor to India’s setback. However, Rahul Dravid, the head coach of the Indian cricket team, defended the decision to rest the senior players and experiment with a new playing XI. Dravid, who himself is a former India cricketer, emphasized that this move was made with a strategic purpose. The team management aimed to assess and give opportunities to certain players in preparation for upcoming important tournaments like the 2023 Asia Cup and the Cricket World Cup.
Dravid further explained that injuries to some key players of the team necessitated these changes, and it was crucial to build a strong and reliable bench strength. This would ensure that India could cope with any unforeseen injuries during crucial tournaments and maintain a competitive edge in international cricket.
Dravid in post match interview said “This (series) was our last chance to try out some of our players. We have a few players injured at the NCA. With a month to go for the Asia Cup, we’re running out of time in a lot of ways. We’re hopeful that some of them will be fit for the Asia Cup and the World Cup. We can’t take those chances. We’ve to try out other players and give some chances so that in a worst-case scenario they have some game time behind them.”
He added on “It gives us some time to make decisions on players. We just felt that, in a series like this, with just two-three matches to go before the Asia Cup, playing Virat and Rohit would not have given us too many answers. With the injuries we have at the NCA and some uncertainty around them, we wanted to give the other boys some chance. So that, if required, they can play,”