Rahul Dravid reveals why India tried multiple players in the no. 5
Indian cricket team coach Rahul Dravid recently clarified the team's batting order reshuffle during a press conference following Team India's training camp in Bangalore. Dravid emphasised that the changes were made out of necessity, not merely for the sake of experimentation. The team is now gearing up for the Asia Cup 2023 in Sri Lanka, with their opening match against Pakistan scheduled for Saturday, September 2.
Dravid on Batting Order Experiments
Rahul Dravid stated that the term 'experimentation' has been overused and often misunderstood. "We had a clear plan 18-19 months ago regarding who would bat at number four and five. KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant were the contenders for these slots," Dravid explained. He added that the team had no doubts about these positions but had to make adjustments due to unforeseen injuries to all three players.
The Reason Behind the Reshuffle
The India head coach elaborated that the injuries to Rahul, Iyer, and Pant forced the team to try out different options. "All three suffered injuries within a short span, necessitating changes in the batting order. Given the limited matches and the focus on the World Test Championship and T20 World Cup, we had to maintain a balance and give everyone game time," he said.
Preparing for Big Tournaments
The former India captain indicated that the focus now is on providing game time to those who are fit. "Two out of the three initial contenders are now fit, and our priority is to give them sufficient time on the field to prepare for upcoming major tournaments like the World Cup," he added.
The Ongoing No.4 Dilemma
The number four batting position has been a point of discussion for Team India for quite some time. Even Indian captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged that the team has struggled to find a stable number four since Yuvraj Singh. Many are calling for Sanju Samson to play in that role but he inconsistency works against him.