Rahul Dravid on India’s loss in 2nd ODI vs WI – ‘Cannot fear about each single sport’

India head coach Rahul Dravid does not need to “make the error” of letting the ODI sequence scoreline of 1-1 take the main target away from wanting on the “larger image” as India construct in direction of the 2023 World Cup at residence this October-November.

Dravid meant the group is keen to strike a steadiness between offering alternatives to gamers, even when it means resting seniors like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, and successful whereas not obsessing over short-term outcomes, given there are fewer than 10 video games left earlier than their World Cup opener towards Australia in Chennai.

“I feel we’ll all the time have a look at the larger image,” Dravid mentioned after West Indies levelled the ODI sequence with a six-wicket win in Bridgetown on Saturday. “To be trustworthy, at this stage within the cycle with the Asia Cup and World Cup developing, and with the accidents we’ve got, we’ve got to have a look at the larger image. We will not fear about each single sport, each single sequence. If we do this, it will likely be a mistake.”

Resting Rohit and Kohli for the second ODI meant sport time for Sanju Samson and Axar Patel. Samson will probably be tussling with Ishan Kishan for the second wicketkeeper’s slot, whereas Axar is essentially 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 “difficult wicket” the place 230 would have been par for the course, however wasn’t fretting over the outcome, 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 the moment recuperating from accidents on the NCA do not make it.

“Truthfully, this was our final probability to have the ability to check out a few of our gamers,” Dravid mentioned. “We have now acquired few of our gamers who’re injured and are on the NCA. With a month to go for the Asia Cup, we’re form of working out of time in lots of methods. And we’re hopeful a few of them will probably be match for the Asia Cup and World Cup. However we will not take these probabilities; we’ve got to check out different folks and provides them probabilities in order that, in a worst-case situation, they’ve sport time behind them.

“It offers us a possibility to make some choices on gamers. We simply felt in a sequence like this, with simply two-three matches to go earlier than the Asia Cup, taking part in 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 provide a number of the different boys an opportunity in order that if required they will play.”

Suryakumar determining ‘methods to bat in center overs’

One of many gamers who has been given a run in Iyer’s absence is Suryakumar Yadav, who’s at the moment India’s T20I vice-captain. Famend for his 360-degree sport within the shortest format, Suryakumar hasn’t been in a position to replicate the identical success within the 50-overs format.In each video games on this sequence, Suryakumar has thrown away begins. Within the first ODI, he was lbw for 19 making an attempt to brush left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie. Within the second ODI, he shelved the sweep fully, however was out reducing Motie for twenty-four. In all, Suryakumar averages a shade underneath 24 after 23 ODI innings with simply two half-centuries.

Suryakumar Yadav (carrying Sanju Samson’s jersey within the image) has not been in a position to convert his begins•AFP/Getty Photographs

“Look, Surya is a very good participant, there isn’t any doubt about it,” Dravid mentioned. “His performances have proven that, particularly in T20 cricket, even in home white-ball cricket. He has some excellent performances. Sadly, he’d be the primary one to confess his ODI numbers aren’t as much as his excessive requirements he is set in T20s. However he is additionally studying about one-day cricket.

“He is performed lots of aggressive T20 cricket by the IPL earlier than he made his India debut, however by way of one-day cricket he hasn’t performed that a lot, there isn’t any IPL in one-day cricket. So I feel he is additionally studying, making an attempt to determine methods to bat in these center overs. He is a expertise, he is a very good participant, we need to give him as many alternatives as we are able to. Upto him now to take these alternatives and use them. However yeah, within the form of set-up we’re, we like to provide folks as many probabilities we presumably 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 Beneath-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 would not fear a lot about Shubman,” Dravid said. “He is batting superbly, he is taking part in very well. He seems to be actually good. It occurs [low scores], you possibly can’t criticise folks after each single sport. It is not straightforward batting situations, we wanted to grind and combat it on the market. We in all probability did not do this by the center overs. However Shubman is batting effectively, he is an necessary a part of all three codecs for us now, hopefully he’ll have a superb sport in Trinidad.”

Kishan, in the meantime, has been India’s greatest batter within the sequence to date, scoring 55 and 52 in his two outings to date. Nonetheless, 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 must jostle for a middle-order slot, relying on how effectively Iyer and Rahul get well. For now, although, Dravid is proud of what he has seen.

“Ishan has achieved very well, that is his third fifty in a row now [across formats]. Once more, he is taking alternatives when given the possibility. That is all we ask from younger gamers, we need to give them as many probabilities as we presumably can. We will not give everybody an opportunity on a regular basis, there are different gifted guys as effectively.

“We attempt our greatest and provides as many probabilities as we are able to. In the present day, to provide folks probabilities, Virat and Rohit needed to sit out. Typically we would must take these dangers, take these probabilities in conditions like that as a result of taking a look at large tournaments, we have to construct a number 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