Dravid taking a look at ‘larger image’, not fearful about ODI loss
India head coach Rahul Dravid would not need to “make the mistake” of letting the ODI collection scoreline of 1-1 take the main target away from trying on the “bigger picture” as India construct in the direction of the 2023 World Cup at dwelling this October-November.
Dravid meant the crew is keen to strike a steadiness between offering alternatives to gamers, even when it means resting seniors like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and profitable whereas not obsessing over short-term outcomes, given there are fewer than 10 video games left earlier than their World Cup opener in opposition to Australia in Chennai.
“I think we will always look at the bigger picture,” Dravid mentioned after West Indies levelled the ODI collection with a six-wicket win in Bridgetown on Saturday. “To be honest, at this stage in the cycle with the Asia Cup and World Cup coming up, and with the injuries we have, we have to look at the bigger picture. We can’t worry about every single game, every single series. If we do that, it will be a mistake.”
Resting Rohit and Kohli for the second ODI meant sport time for Sanju Samson and Axar Patel. Samson can be tussling with Ishan Kishan for the second wicketkeeper’s slot, whereas Axar is basically seen as a like-for-like back-up to Ravindra Jadeja.
Samson managed simply 9, whereas Axar, promoted to No. 4, scored 1. They have been a part of a middle-order meltdown that led to India floundering from 90 with out loss to 181 all out. Dravid labeled it a “challenging wicket” the place 230 would have been par for the course, however wasn’t fretting over the consequence, as an alternative selecting to attract positives from giving back-up gamers sport time within the wake of a situation the place their regulars – Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul – at present recuperating from accidents on the NCA do not make it.
“Honestly, this was our last chance to be able to try out some of our players,” Dravid mentioned. “We have got few of our players who are injured and are at the NCA. With a month to go for the Asia Cup, we are kind of running out of time in a lot of ways. And we’re hopeful some of them will be fit for the Asia Cup and World Cup. But we can’t take those chances; we have to try out other people and give them chances so that, in a worst-case scenario, they have game time behind them.
“It offers us a chance to make some selections on gamers. We simply felt in a collection like this, with simply two-three matches to go earlier than the Asia Cup, enjoying Virat and Rohit truthfully wouldn’t have given us too many solutions, however with the accidents we’ve got on the NCA and the uncertainty round them, we wished to present a few of the different boys an opportunity in order that if required they’ll play.”
Suryakumar figuring out ‘how to bat in middle overs’
One of the players who has been given a run in Iyer’s absence is Suryakumar Yadav, who is currently India’s T20I vice-captain. Renowned for his 360-degree game in the shortest format, Suryakumar hasn’t been able to replicate the same success in the 50-overs format.
In both games in this series, Suryakumar has thrown away starts. In the first ODI, he was lbw for 19 trying to sweep left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie. In the second ODI, he shelved the sweep completely, but was out cutting Motie for 24. In all, Suryakumar averages a shade under 24 after 23 ODI innings with just two half-centuries.
“Look, Surya is a very good participant, there isn’t any doubt about it,” Dravid said. “His performances have proven that, particularly in T20 cricket, even in home white-ball cricket. He has some superb performances. Unfortunately, he’d be the primary one to confess his ODI numbers aren’t as much as his excessive requirements he is set in T20s. But he is additionally studying about one-day cricket.
“He’s played a lot of competitive T20 cricket through the IPL before he made his India debut, but in terms of one-day cricket he hasn’t played that much, there’s no IPL in one-day cricket. So I think he’s also learning, trying to figure out how to bat in those middle overs. He’s a talent, he’s a really good player, we want to give him as many opportunities as we can. Upto him now to take those opportunities and use them. But yeah, in the kind of set-up we are, we like to give people as many chances we possibly can.”
Then there are Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, whose developments from age-group cricket Dravid has been aware of having labored with them at India Under-19. Gill is but to hit a half-century on tour [across five innings] however Dravid is not involved, whereas additionally being happy for Kishan taking each alternative he is attending to stake a declare.
“I wouldn’t worry so much about Shubman,” Dravid acknowledged. “He’s batting beautifully, he’s playing really well. He looks really good. It happens [low scores], you can’t criticise people after every single game. It’s not easy batting conditions, we needed to grind and fight it out there. We probably didn’t do that through the middle overs. But Shubman is batting well, he’s an important part of all three formats for us now, hopefully he’ll have a good game in Trinidad.”
Kishan, in the meantime, has been India’s finest batter within the collection up to now, scoring 55 and 52 in his two outings up to now. However, Kishan’s challenges will come particularly when India revert to their common high three of Rohit, Gill and Kohli. In such a situation, he’ll presumably should jostle for a middle-order slot, relying on how nicely Iyer and Rahul recuperate. For now, although, Dravid is pleased with what he has seen.
“Ishan has done really well, this is his third fifty in a row now [across formats]. Again, he’s taking opportunities when given the chance. That’s all we ask from young players, we want to give them as many chances as we possibly can. We can’t give everyone a chance all the time, there are other talented guys as well.
“We strive our greatest and provides as many probabilities as we will. Today, to present folks probabilities, Virat and Rohit needed to sit out. Sometimes we’d should take these dangers, take these probabilities in conditions like that as a result of taking a look at massive tournaments, we have to construct a few of the gamers, get solutions for particular positions contemplating the state of affairs we’re in.”
Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo