Indian captain Rohit Sharma is well aware of the choices available to Team India to field a winning playing XI in the ICC World Cup. The 36-year-old will be captain of the Men in Blue for the first time in the ODI World Cup after being dropped from India’s World Cup-winning side in 2011, the last time when the Asian giants hosted the 50-over spectacle.
Rohit and company will begin India’s campaign for a third ODI World Cup victory by facing off the five-time champions Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The Men in Blue will be without the services of their star batter Shubman Gill for the opening game due to the dengue illness which could be a vital blow for the Indian team.
Speaking on India’s playing combination for the opening game against Australia, Rohit Sharma admitted that the Men in Blue has the luxury of playing three spinners as Hardik Pandya can take up the role of the third seamer in the team given the conditions.
“Yeah, I mean that’s the luxury we have where we can afford to play three spinners because I don’t really consider Hardik Pandya as just a seamer. He (Hardik) is a proper fast bowler, who can crank up good speed. So, that gives us an advantage. That gives us that luxury of playing three spinners and three seamers as well. So, there’s a possibility of that,” Rohit Sharma said.
Hardik Pandya gives a proper 6th bowling option in the team, who can provide vital breakthroughs with the new ball and old ball and deliver with the bat for the Men in Blue lower-down the order, while Ravichandran Ashwin can walk as the third spinner in the team on a condition which might favour the spinner in Chennai.
The Core Of The Team Will Remain The Same – Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma said that they would pick the playing 11 based on the conditions they have in various venues in the country and asserted that the core team will remain the same throughout the tournament with two or three players being rotated depending upon the different surfaces in India.
“We definitely want to be a team where we want to play the best 11, but you can pick your best 11 based on the conditions that you have in front of you. Where there is a bit of assistance to the slower bowlers, you need to bring in those slower bowlers.
“So, the core of the team will remain the same. Your 8, 9, and 10 players will remain the same. There will be one or two changes here and there, which you’ve got to be ready to accept and take into your stride and move forward,” Rohit Sharma added.
The last time the ODI World Cup was played in Asia, India won the tournament by defeating Sri Lanka in the final on home soil in 2011. Since the 2011 World Cup, the host nations have got their hands on the prestigious trophy for three consecutive times and India will look to lift the coveted title on the home soil after 12 long years.
