India’s coach, Rahul Dravid, has justified his choice to omit skipper Rohit Sharma and experienced batter Virat Kohli from the playing XI for the second ODI against the West Indies in Barbados last Saturday. Notably, Rohit and Kohli were given a rest for the 50-over match, but this decision didn’t yield the desired results, as the West Indies secured a six-wicket victory, leveling the series at 1-1 before the crucial decider in Tarouba.
Dravid elaborated on the selection strategy while addressing the media after the defeat. He stated that it was essential for him to assess the capabilities of fringe players like Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup later this year.
“This was the last chance we had to try out some of our players,” Dravid said.
“We have got a few of our players who are injured who are in the NCA (National Cricket Academy).
“With a month to go until the Asia Cup, we are running out of time in a lot of ways.
“We are hopeful that some of them (injured players) will be fit for the Asia Cup and the World Cup, but we can’t take those chances.
