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'The way he played in IPL... it can be him or KL Rahul': Ex-Pakistan captain's astounding suggestion for Rohit, Dravid
The former Pakistan captain had a rather interesting advice for Team India as it continues preparations for the ODI World Cup.
Team India registered a 2-1 series win over West Indies in the ODI series last week, beating the hosts by 200 runs in the series decider. It was a comprehensive performance from India in the final ODI but many fans on social media were critical of team's tactics throughout the series. For starters, captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli played only the first ODI, opting to rest for the remaining two. Moreover, some of the batting order decisions – particularly in the second ODI, where Sanju Samson came at 3 and Axar Patel at 4 – didn't sit well with social media.
Many argued that Rohit and Kohli shouldn't have been selected for the series if the plan was to rest them – Kohli also didn't bat in the first ODI despite India losing five wickets in the paltry 115-run chase. It was a rather disappointing collapse for the Indian batting lineup in the second match, where the side was bowled out for 181. The team management faced severe criticism for experimenting with the combinations in playing XI – especially considering that the World Cup is in less than three-months' time.
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Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has also lashed out at Team India's decisions, as he spoke about the side's performances against West Indies in detail.
“In recent history, they haven't been playing spinners quite well. They're traditionally solid against spinners, but you don't see that control now. It needs to be addressed. Secondly, there are too many changes on every tour. It's about time, before the World Cup, that you know your 15, and every player knows his roles. And the team plays like that,” Butt said on his official YouTube channel.
“If you want to give someone rest, and try different combinations, send an A team itself. Let all players rest. If your half of first XI players are there and half are not, you can't say that it's your main team. Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill.. no one is new. They have double centuries in ODIs, centuries in IPL.”
Interestingly, the former Pakistan skipper has suggested that India might think towards recalling Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane in the ODI squad ahead of the marquee tournaments like the Asia Cup and the World Cup. Dhawan last played for India last November during a series against New Zealand; Rahane, meanwhile, has been away from the white-ball setup for many years.
The Mumbai batter was also dropped from the Test side last year, but earned a recall after an impressive domestic season, followed by a stellar show for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
“The way Rahane played in IPL and the way he came back in Tests, he is a possible option. And they will need Shikhar Dhawan. I don't see any of the top-order batters, among right-handers, who can open as good as him. Either Shikhar and Shubman (Gill) can open and Rohit comes one down, or Rohit can open with Shikhar. They need experience in World Cup. They also need a guy in at no.5/6, either it's Rahul or Rahane. When there's pressure, the youngsters stutter. You need experience, the pressure gets to you,” said Butt.
