As many criticisms on the defeat of the 2nd ODI against West Indies, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid answers the question Will Rohit and Virat play in the 3rd ODI vs WI and explains India’s experiment on the Second ODI.
Will Rohit and Virat play in 3rd ODI vs WI?
Rahul Dravid has explained the India team’s selection strategy after Indian Skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were sidelined in the 2nd ODI of the West Indies tour 2023.
The team management sprung a big surprise by deciding to rest senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the game. In their absence, Hardik Pandya led the side but failed to guide the team to a win as India suffered a crushing 6-wicket loss.
Ishan Kishan scored for India with a knock of 55 runs off 55 balls. Meanwhile, Gudakesh Motie and Romario Shepherd had taken three wickets each for West Indies.
Speaking after the match, India head coach Rahul Dravid opened up on the decision to rest Rohit and Virat. He also stated that India would be following a similar strategy when it comes to team selection in the upcoming games due to the World Cup and Asia Cup.
“I think we will always look at the bigger picture. To be very honest with you, at this stage in the cycle with the Asia Cup and World Cup coming up, and the injuries we have, we have to look at the big picture.
We have to look at things like that. We can’t get worried about every single game and every single series. If we do that, I think that will be a mistake”, he said.
The result also concluded West Indies ending a losing streak of 55 months against India as they lost nine games. The last time West Indies won an ODI against India was in December 2019, when they won by eight wickets in Chennai.
The Indian team is facing severe criticism after the defeat in the second ODI against West Indies. With the World Cup being three months away, this performance and defeat should be considered for the call of Indian team management.
There is also a question raised about the strategy planning. If young players are tested on the field about their performance in the absence of senior players, one match cannot be taken into count.
It will be a test for Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and Suryakumar Yadav. Rohit and Virat are expected to be back in the playing XI for the third and final ODI.
On Speaking about the upcoming match, India’s captain for the second match, Hardik Pandya said, “Being a turtle at the moment, not a rabbit. Hoping everything goes well during the World Cup.
They will be tested, we will be tested now that the series stands 1-1. The next game will be exciting for the viewers as well as the players.”
India will be looking to bounce back in the third ODI and register a victory in the series. The third and final match will take place in Trinidad on August 1.
West Indies Squad
Shai Hope(w/c), Kyle Mayers, Brandon King, Shimron Hetmyer, Alick Athanaze, Rovman Powell, Keacy Carty, Romario Shepherd, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Oshane Thomas, Jayden Seales, Kevin Sinclair, Dominic Drakes, Yannic Cariah
Indian Squad
Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jaydev Unadkat, Mukesh Kumar, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad
