Former skipper Rahul Dravid feels that the Indian team management should now take decisions keeping in mind the 2019 World Cup, which includes the roles of veterans Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh in the current team.
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“It is a call that is got to be taken by the selectors and the management,” said.
“And what they see as the road map for Indian cricket, and where they see the role of both these cricketers going ahead for the next couple of years. Is there a place for both of them? Is there a place for only one of them? Do you want to reassess it in a year’s time, six months’ time? Do you want to look at the available talent and see what they have to offer before going back to these two players?” he asked.
After ending up as runners-up in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy, India will now head to West Indies to play a five-match ODI series and a T20I beginning June 23.
And Dravid feels that the Indian team management should experiment, at least with the playing XI and give more opportunities to people.
“They have taken a decision to go to the West Indies with a full-strength squad. I really hope they are willing to experiment at least in the playing XI and give more opportunities to people,” said ‘The Wall’.
“If you don’t do that, suddenly you don’t want to come to a situation and, say, in a year’s time, where you say, ‘We haven’t given people chances so these are the only guys we have got.'”
“Better position to be in: ‘We have tried everything else, but we still feel that Yuvi and Dhoni are fit, they are playing very well, and they are the guys to see us through.’ And no one will complain about that,” he added.
The current India A and U-19 coach further insisted that time has come to also decide on the spin combination as the duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were not able to make much of an impact on flat pitches during the Champions Trophy.
“We are playing on really flat wickets,” Dravid said.
“It is tough on them, and . it is not happening. If you want wickets in the middle, wrist-spinners and mystery spinners are the ones who look like taking wickets on some of these flat wickets with the fielding restrictions,” he added.
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The 15-member Indian squad for the West Indies tour includes wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav and Dravid feels that the former needs to be given a lot more game time
“It is nice to have Kuldeep Yadav coming in. He needs to be given a lot more game time. He has got the ability, he has got a bit of mystery about him,” the 44-year-old said.