India head coach Rahul Dravid had to fly back home to Bengaluru from Kolkata after the second ODI against Sri Lanka, sparking worries about his health. It was initially reported that Dravid may not join the team in Thiruvananthapuram for the third ODI but batting coach Vikram Rathour has stated that the former India captain is now with the rest of the squad in Kerala's state capital.
Rathour also emphatically quashed any fears over Dravid's health, stating that the 50-year-old can do a few rounds of the cricket ground if needed. “He’s absolutely fine boss. I don’t know where that news came from. He’s absolutely fine. You want him to take a few rounds, you want to see that? We can put some fitness test for him also. He’s here (in Thiruvananthapuram with the Indian team)," he told reporters on the eve of the third ODI.
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India have already won the three-match series, taking a 2-0 lead with their victory in the second match in Kolkata. They have experienced contrasting wins in the series, having dominated in the first ODI and been saved by an attritional half century from KL Rahul in the second. A 3-0 series win before taking on a better-quality opposition in New Zealand in less than 72 hours time will keep the team in good stead.
{{/usCountry}}India have already won the three-match series, taking a 2-0 lead with their victory in the second match in Kolkata. They have experienced contrasting wins in the series, having dominated in the first ODI and been saved by an attritional half century from KL Rahul in the second. A 3-0 series win before taking on a better-quality opposition in New Zealand in less than 72 hours time will keep the team in good stead.
{{/usCountry}}Workload management has been the buzz word in Indian cricket over the past couple of years and while it has advantages, there has been distinct pitfalls with players not finding rhythm after being given periodic rests.
That could precisely be the reason why the Indian skipper might just not play Ishan Kishan at the top or Suryakumar Yadav in the middle order in the final game. All the top five batters, including all-rounder Hardik Pandya will not mind some more batting time against a decent Sri Lankan attack at the Greenfields Stadium which is known to assist bowlers.