IND vs NZ: "We Are Getting The Opportunity To Ensure That We Can Give Opportunities To Those Who Are Sitting On The Bench" - Rahul Dravid
Published - 24 Jan 2023, 12:52 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:15 AM
India will take on New Zealand in the third and final One-Day International of the three-match series at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore, on Tuesday, January 24. The Men in Blue outplayed the Blackcaps in the first two matches to clinch the series. Indian head coach Rahul Dravid stated that his team will not play for the sake of formality in the final game with the series already sealed.
Team India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after beating the visitors in the first two games. Shubman Gill’s brilliant double century helped them post a mammoth total of 349, while Michael Bracewell’s century brought the Kiwis closer in the first game, but they fell short by 12 runs. India dominated the Kiwis, bowled them out for just 108, and chased down the target with eight wickets to spare in the second match.
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Important To Give Every Member Of The Squad Enough Game Time – Rahul Dravid
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the third ODI against New Zealand, Rahul Dravid hinted that the team may test their bench strength in the final ODI and stressed the importance of giving the core group players enough game time even if they are not always in the best XI.
“No match is a formality when you’re playing for India. But here we are getting the opportunity to ensure that we can give opportunities to those who are sitting on the bench. It’s important that you have to win every match and series,” said Rahul Dravid as quoted by Cricbuzz.
“But it’s also important to give every member of the squad enough game time. Every team has 15 members, and only 11 can play. So you have to give chances to those four sitting outside as and when you get an opportunity. Like you’ve seen, when there are injuries (at critical times), the bench players should also be ready.”
“When you’re going to a big tournament, every team tries to ensure that all 15 players have enough game experience. So it’s great when we get such an opportunity. But that doesn’t mean it’s a formality. Whichever 11 we put on the field, the effort is to win the match.”
Virat Kohli | Rohit Sharma | Rishabh Pant | KL Rahul | Suryakumar Yadav | Sanju Samson | Shreyas Iyer | Yuzvendra Chahal | Jasprit Bumrah
