The team management now has to decide which players to leave off the bench in light of the fact that a few first-choice stars who were rested for the first two ODIs against Australia will now be available for selection. India’s strategy of testing bench strength against Australia in the first two ODIs worked brilliantly.
In the absence of Rohit, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Mohammed Shami, and Ravichandran Ashwin, the team’s captain and coach will have a difficult time deciding on the best XI with the senior players expected to return for the third ODI in Rajkot.
In the second ODI, Iyer scored a century while Suryakumar scored back-to-back fifty-sixes. The team management is currently in a difficult position as a result of Kohli and Pandya’s comeback.
KL Rahul, who captained the team in the first two ODIs against Australia, believes that Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid are struggling with the selection process.
“As players, we aren’t really in a position to decide. When Rohit returns, it will be the coach’s and their problem. Our responsibilities are extremely clear. Every member of the starting XI has a task to do. After scoring a lot of runs, sitting out may be difficult, but everyone has experienced it, and in my opinion, it will always be that way, Rahul stated during the post-game presentation.
In the meanwhile, India’s hitters put up a strong performance in the second ODI, scoring a massive 399/5 in 50 overs thanks to hundreds from Shubman Gill and Iyer and fifty-plus scores from Rahul and Suryakumar.
Rahul declared that he wanted to bowl first at the toss and said during the game that they didn’t anticipate the ball spinning much in the second half.
Australia was destroyed for 217 runs thanks to six wickets shared by Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
“I didn’t anticipate the wicket would spin that much when I first saw it (earlier). Putting 400 on the board instills confidence, said Rahul.
India has missed a few opportunities in the current series, but Rahul believes that players sometimes find it difficult to adjust to the lighting when they often play in other stadiums.
We have missed a few opportunities, but getting acclimated to the lighting is difficult when you fly every other day and play at a new venue. Many of the men have been participating for a while. The trainers are making every effort to keep the athletes in shape. These mistakes do occur sometimes. The dedication is always there; we’ll take our lessons from it, move on, and improve for the next game, he said.
The senior players’ status for the last ODI was discussed by the wicketkeeper-batter.
“Nothing is mentioned, but the returning men will want to make a good impression. The World Cup is coming up in a few weeks, so males will want to get involved. They must get acclimated to the difficulties because they will be eager to return to the field, he said.