Picture Credit: Twitter
After displaying dominance in the Test series and taking down their Caribbean rivals in the first ODI, the winning streak of India ended in the second of the three ODI games series. Shai Hope’s boys made a solid comeback, and the team's collective effort paid off when they turned the table by defeating Asian giants by six wickets on July 29, Saturday. The last game saw many changes in the squad with Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli getting rested. However, after India’s defeat, coach Rahul Dravid came in defence of the Men in Blue and said that they are looking at the bigger picture.
Addressing the media, Dravid said that since many players are currently injured and undergoing rehab, they are trying out other players. Fondly called ‘The Wall’, Dravid said, "This was our last chance to be able to try out our players; we have got few of our players who are injured, who are in the NCA. You know, with months to go for the World Cup or Asia Cup, we are kind of running out of time in a lot of ways, and we are hopeful that some of him will be at least fit for the Asia Cup and the World Cup."
Watch the video here:
He added, “But we cannot take our chances as we have to try out other people, so that in a worst-case scenario they have game time behind them. We will always look into the bigger picture and we cannot think about every single game and series."
The former India player also addressed the criticism that the team faced over Playing XI selection. He said that they do not worry about others’ opinions and want to give young players the opportunity. Dravid added, "We are not too worried about others' opinions, these are the talented boys from our country, they all have performed and come here. It is up to them to take the opportunity when they are given the opportunity."
Notably, after their victory in the second ODI, West Indies have levelled the series 1-1.
