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The second One-Day International (ODI) between West Indies and India witnessed a comprehensive win for the hosts as they chased down the target of 182 with ease. The match took place at Kensington Oval, Barbados, where the visitors faltered against the West Indies’ bowling attack.
Team India made two crucial changes to their playing XI, deciding to rest the experienced duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. In Rohit’s absence, the young all-rounder Hardik Pandya was entrusted with the responsibility of leading the side. Axar Patel and Sanju Samson were named as replacements for the rested Kohli and Rohit, respectively.
However, the change in the team composition did not yield favourable results for India. After being put in to bat first by West Indies captain Shai Hope, the Indian batting lineup struggled to find their footing and were bowled out for a paltry 181 runs in just 40.5 overs. In response, the West Indies batsmen displayed commendable form, efficiently chasing down the target in just 36.4 overs, thanks to some stellar performances by their top order.
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This defeat marked India’s first loss against an opponent in ODIs after nine consecutive victories, raising questions about the decision to rest key players. Nevertheless, head coach Rahul Dravid firmly backed the team management’s choice to experiment with the playing XI. Speaking at the post-match chat, Dravid emphasized that this ODI series against the West Indies was their last opportunity to test out different players. With some players injured and facing uncertainty around their fitness, the team management wanted to provide opportunities to other squad members and gain crucial game time for them.
“This (IND vs WI ODI series) was our last chance to try out some of our players. We have a few players injured, at the NCA. With a month to go for the Asia Cup, we’re running out of time in a lot of ways. We’re hopeful that some of them will be fit for the Asia Cup and the World Cup. We can’t take those chances. We’ve to try out other players and give some chances, so that in a worst-case scenario they have some game time behind them,” said Dravid.
He added, “It gives us some time to make decisions on players. We just felt that, in a series like this, with just two-three matches to go before the Asia Cup, playing Virat and Rohit would not have given us too many answers.”
Dravid emphasized the need to take risks ahead of big tournaments
The former Indian captain further highlighted the need to look at the bigger picture when preparing for major tournaments like the Asia Cup and the upcoming World Cup. He acknowledged that taking certain risks and giving chances to younger players was essential to build a strong squad for the future, especially considering the current injury predicaments.
“We will always look at the bigger picture. At this stage in the cycle, with the Asia Cup and the World Cup coming up, in some ways, with the injuries that we have, we have to look at the bigger picture. We can’t look at every single game and every single series. If we do that, I think it will be a mistake. Today to give people chances, Virat and Rohit sat out. We might have to take those risks, take those chances in situations like that. If we’re building for big tournaments and big events, we need to build some players and get some answers for specific positions, especially considering the situation we’re in,” added Dravid.
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The third and final ODI of the series will take place at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on August 1. It remains to be seen how Team India will respond in their quest to secure a series victory.
