How much is too much? Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma would be wondering if something goes wrong in Asia Cup 2023 in a month’s time. The three ODIs against West Indies were the only opportunities to nail combinations. But with workload management and injuries, India Cricket Team adopted a bizarre strategy. Rohit will go to Sri Lanka for Asia Cup having played just 5 balls in IND vs WI ODI series. Virat Kohli is without any ODI practice at all.
Yet somehow, bizarrely, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Jaydev Unadkat got a chance to play an ODI after 10 months and 10 years, respectively. The two are not even in plans for either of Asia Cup or World Cup 2023.
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While Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma, as well as Ravindra Jadeja, have supported experimentations, it raises more questions than answers. What is the plan?
- Question 1: If it was all about experimenting, why play Rohit & Virat in the 1st ODI?
- Question 2: Rohit & Virat have played only 11 & 12 ODI innings in the last 12 months, is that enough?
- Question 3: When Ravichandran Ashwin & Axar Patel are part of the plans, why not give them game time?
- Question 4: Where does Jaydev Unadkat fit in?
- Question 5: Why play Ruturaj Gaikwad when he is not even in the plans?
- Question 6: if Ishan Kishan can only play in middle-order, why let him open?
Too many experiments before Asia Cup 2023?
As things stand, with a month to go and no more ODIs scheduled ahead of Asia Cup 2023, the squad is still unsettled. Was it worth it? Rahul Dravid has already argued in favour after experimenting in India vs West Indies series.
“Honestly, this was our last chance to try some of our players. We have got four of our players who are injured and are in the NCA. With days to go for the Asia Cup and then the World Cup, we are kind of running out of time in a lot of ways. And we are hoping that some of them will be for the Asia Cup and the World Cup. But we can’t take those chances. We have to try out other people and give them chances. In the worst-case scenario, they at least have game time behind them,” Rahul Dravid said after the India vs West Indies 2nd ODI.
Unsettled batting order:
For once, he did not deviate from his plans in IND vs WI 3rd ODI. He did continue with the experimentations. But at what cost and why?
Shubman Gill will get the most practice as he will also be in the IND vs WI T20 series. Ishan Kishan has done his part. But it begs the question, why is he still opening? Why not play him in the tough middle-order in middle overs where he actually has a chance if KL Rahul loses form?
With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma rested from the 2nd and 3rd ODIs, Sanju Samson played at No 3 and No 4. By any chance, probably a miracle, if he gets in after scoring a career-saving fifty, he will only have a place at No 5 & 6. But he wasn’t played at those positions.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma will go to Asia Cup 2023 having played just 5 balls. Virat Kohli had no such luck as he did not bat in India vs West Indies 1st ODI. He was rested from the 2nd and 3rd ODIs.
Bowling unit missing
Ravindra Jadeja is another certainty with Axar Patel only expected to be his cover. But instead of getting the cover ready, Axar got to bowl just two overs and bat at No 4 for 8 balls. Why? Experiment.
Yuzvendra Chahal, the backup, leg-spinner has got no ODI games under his belt. Mohammad Shami who is likely to be in the pace battery has got no matches. Jasprit Bumrah will only get 12 overs to bowl after spending over a year out with injury. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul will go to Sri Lanka without playing any games.
Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin are two hopefuls. But Shami has played only 8 ODIs this year. Ashwin hasn’t played any.
“The kind of talent which the Indian team possesses right now, I think we can pick two more teams and win any competition in the world,” Hardik Pandya, India’s now vice-captain, said in 2021.
Since his comments, India have conceded the two T20 World Cups and the Asia Cup in 2022. As squad depth, India have struggled to replace Rishabh Pant or Jasprit Bumrah during their absences.
Rahul Dravid himself advocated squad depth when he took over the head coach job in November 2021. Despite experimenting at will and at times compromising results, the Indian team has little to show for their methods.
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