'He is learning how to bat': Coach Rahul Dravid defends star batsman after India's loss to West Indies

India head coach Rahul Dravid said that the team was "not worried about every single game and single series" and will have to try out other players ahead of the World Cup, as he defended his decision to rest Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the second ODI against West Indies.

The Indian team management's decision to rest regular skipper Rohit and star batter Virat Kohli badly backfired as the visitors were bowled out for 181 in 40.5 overs. The home team chased down the target with 80 balls to spare for an easy six-wicket victory to level the three-match ODI series 1-1.

Dravid on getting team India's plan right for 2023 ODI World Cup

(Team India Head Coach Rahul Dravid with Vikram Rathour and Rohit Sharma / Image: AP)

"We will always look at the bigger picture. At this stage in the cycle, the Asia Cup and World Cup coming up we have to look at the bigger picture because of some of the injuries we have. We can't get worried about every single game. every single series, if we do that it will be a mistake," Dravid said after the match.

"To give people chances, Virat and Rohit sat out. We have to take those risks, we might have to take those chances in situations like that looking at big events. We want to give them (young players) as many chances we possibly can." Dravid said with some players injured and recovering at the National Cricket Academy(NCA) in Bengaluru, it was imperative for the management to give chances to other team members ahead of the Asia Cup (August 30-September 17) and the World Cup (October-November).

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"Honestly, this was our last chance to try out some of our players. We have got few of our players injured who are in NCA. With a month to go until 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 Asia Cup and World Cup, but we can't take those chances.

"With the injuries we have and some uncertainty surrounding them, we have to try out other people and give them chances so in a worst-case scenario, so that at least they have game time behind them and so if required they can play. It gives us an opportunity to make some decisions on players." The former India batting stalwart said the move to rest Rohit and Kohli was to create enough bench strength which can be used in necessity.

"We just felt that in a series like this with two, three matches to go for the Asia Cup, playing Virat and Rohit would not have given us too many answers. We need to build some of the players, we need get some answers for specific positions considering some of the situations we are in," said Dravid. He said he is least bothered about criticism and opinions of people outside.

"We are not too much worried about the opinion of people. It's just that these are the talented boys we have in the country. They have all performed and it's up to them to take the opportunities." 50-60 runs short. Dravid believes the pitch was not easy for batting and they were 50-60 runs short of what could have been a winning score in the second ODI.

"We are little disappointed, we knew it was a tricky wicket, not an easy wicket to bat on. We needed to get somewhere near to 230-240, that would have been a very good and competitive score. But we kept losing wickets in bunches. We got a really good start, Shubman (Gill) and Ishan (Kishan) really batted well to give us a good start but we needed somebody to carry on, somebody to bat till the end. We lost wickets in the middle and probably we are 50-60 runs short."

Rahul Dravid's verdict on Suryakumar Yadav's ODI performances

(Suryakumar Yadav plays a short during the IND vs NZ T20I series in 2023 / Image: BCCI)

Suryakumar is learning about ODI cricket. Dravid feels Suryakumar Yadav must be disappointed with his performances in ODI cricket, given the standard he has set in T20 format.

"Surya is a really good player there is no doubt about it, his performances have shown that in T20 cricket and even in domestic cricket in white ball. He would be the first one to admit his ODI numbers probably haven't been up to his high standards or the standard that he has set in T20."He is learning about ODI cricket. He is learning how to bat through the middle overs. He is a talent, a really good player so we want to give as many opportunities we can. It's really up to him now to take those opportunities. In the kind of set up we are we would like to give people as many chances we can," he said. Praise for Shubman and Ishan, Dravid is mighty impressed with Shubman and Ishan's performances and termed the former as an vital cog of the team in all three formats of the game.

"I won't worry so much about Shubman. He is batting really well, he looks really good. It can happen, you can't criticise people after every single game. These things can happen, it's not easy batting conditions. We needed to grind and fight it out there. Shubman is an important part of all the three formats now," he said.

"Ishan has done really well. This is third fifty in a row now counting the Test matches. He is taking the opportunities when he is given the chance. That's all we ask from young players."