When playing for India, every game is a formality. Dravid
- In the press conference leading up to the third One-Day International (ODI) between India and New Zealand in Indore, the topic of conversation quickly went from the series itself to the bigger picture. India has already won the series thanks to an 8-wicket victory in Raipur, but the team’s head coach has insisted that the last match will not be a formality.
- Since India automatically qualified for the 2023 50-over World Cup as the tournament hosts, they didn’t need to worry too much about their Super League standing. Despite their current second-place standing, they have spent the majority of this season tinkering with their roster and starting lineup rather than fielding their strongest possible team every game.
- On Monday, the Indian head coach provided an explanation for the decision, saying, “The focus last year was around the T20 world cup.” Since the World Test Championship is an ongoing competition, it’s important to keep it in mind at all times. In addition, the goal was to put more emphasis on Twenty20 matches and the World Cup. After that tournament concluded, our focus switched to the 50-over World Cup, which will be held in October/November, and we have been working hard to get ready for it.
- That’s a challenge in itself, as you’re dealing with three different formats and need to give certain of them the utmost importance. The World Test Championship is usually in the foreground, if not the foreground itself. In addition, you need to identify the white ball competition you’ll be participating in.
- This will be the sixth game of the season for us, so far. You’ll play roughly 15 matches total, including three against Australia, the Asia Cup, and the West Indies.
- Dravid said, “At this moment, we’ve narrowed down on the set of players we want and we’re almost there,” emphasising the decision to leave out Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the forthcoming T20 series as part of the workload management. It’s simply a matter of giving our time and attention to the one-day cricket format and the guys we’ve reduced down to.
- He also didn’t minimise the significance of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and he made it clear that players like Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, who have been absent from the national setup for a while but are rumoured to be participating in the T20 league, have been sidelined due to injury management.
- “It’s not precisely workload management in the case of Bumrah and Jadeja,” he remarked. They were hurt and had to sit this one out. All of these are under constant scrutiny. Care for injured workers is distinct from managing employees’ workloads. We play a lot of cricket, so we need to strike a balance between the two to guarantee that our best players are available for the major competitions.
- “With regard to the IPL, the NCA and medical staff have been in contact with the individual teams. It’s a significant competition for the BCCI, therefore we usually let the players go if they’ve been selected for the IPL (with the exception of injuries). This event is ideal for gauging how well players will perform in the Twenty20 format.
- While stressing the necessity to spread out players’ workloads, he emphasised the significance of giving the core group of players—those who might not make the starting XI—enough playing time.
- Playing for India, there are no easy games. But now we have the chance to make sure that the people who have been waiting their turn on the bench get their shot. You should aim to win every single game and the whole series.
- In addition, it’s crucial to provide equal playing time for all of the team’s members. There are fifteen people on each team, but only eleven can compete at once. So, whenever you can, you should offer those four people waiting outside a shot. Similarly to what you’ve observed, the bench should be prepared in case of injuries (at crucial times).
- Every team that enters a major event makes an effort to get all 15 of their players tournament experience. This is why it’s fantastic whenever we have the chance to do so. However, that doesn’t make it a meaningless formality. No matter which 11 players we start, our goal is to win the game.
- Dravid has stated that there is a potential of releasing a few players if necessary once the Test series begins, despite the fact that none of the national players are scheduled to be released for the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals as part of preparation for the next Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
- “It’s a tricky one for us,” he admitted, “since we’d prefer for our boys to be playing Ranji Trophy as and when possible.” This year, the quarterfinals will be held on March 31. Our preparation for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins around this time as well. We couldn’t waive anyone in the days leading up to such a crucial series.
- However, if the series begins and a position opens up for a player who is not currently on our roster but is needed for the semifinals and final, we would be interested in exploring the possibility. Yes, we do think about it occasionally.
- We’d like to call a few guys in for our upcoming training camp in Nagpur, and we’re eager to do so. As discussed with the selection committee, we will not be making any roster changes for the Ranji Trophy semi-finals.
