DUBAI: An interesting thing happened during the squad gathering before India started their warm-ups, about an hour before the game against Pakistan here on Sunday.
Wicketkeeper-beater Dinesh Karthik, the team’s oldest player, was asked to address the team first. Former captain Virat Kohli followed with a few words before outgoing skipper Rohit Sharma finished the pep talk, moderated by head coach Rahul Dravid. Dravide had joined the team in the early hours of Sunday, arriving late after recovering from Covid-19.
Thirty minutes later, Rohit announces in the draw that Karthik has been preferred to Rishabh Pants, the most regular and common toast in Indian cricket. The decision came as a surprise to many.
For Pant, it may be a moment of deja vu, seeing how he initially missed out on a place in India’s 2019 World Cup squad. team preferred Karthik’s experience.
It’s the first time since last year’s T20 World Cup here in Dubai that a nearly full Indian squad have taken to the pitch. The only one missing was Jasprit Bumrah. This Asian Cup was touted as a platform for Dravid and Rohit Sharma to crack their combination ahead of the T20 World Cup in less than two months.
If Sunday’s decision is any indication, it looks like team management is finding utility in Karthik in the final four overs of a more valuable inning. Pant, in all honesty, didn’t have the same impact in T20s as he did in the other two formats. The decision to go with Karthik, however, means the first order will be left-handed, with Ravindra Jadeja playing more of a finisher role.
“Dinesh has been doing very well lately. Even before he was let go he had played some crucial shots for us. Since he came back we wanted him to play a certain role and he didn’t let us down. disappointed so far,” Rohit had said the day before the match.
Still, the game XI has an underlying disclaimer. India is not yet done with experimentation. “Listen, we decided to try things. Some may work and some may not, but there’s nothing wrong with trying. We have no problem with that,” Rohit said of his plans Saturday.
“Only if you try things will you get answers. When there is an opportunity to try different combinations, we will try. When it comes to combinations, our team has decided that we will keep trying. and along the way if we make mistakes or run into difficulties, we’re okay with that.”
Rohit also mentioned that the whole squad is on the same page and every player in the 15-man squad is good enough to make the XI.
“We talked about it as a group, there is nothing to worry about. We will continue to look for new answers, it can be anywhere, with our batter, our bowling. We already have a lot of answers in the 8 last -10 months, it will continue. When the World Cup arrives, we will see what to do and what not to do,” he said.
