No set formula but we're clear about World Cup team combination: Rahul Dravid

Kolkata, February 21

Finding the perfect combination can be tricky and there is no set formula, but India head coach Rahul Dravid says he and skipper Rohit Sharma are pretty clear about the team for the T20 World Cup in Australia, which starts in less than eight months from now.

Dravid, who took over from Ravi Shastri after India's group stage exit in the last year's T20 World Cup in the UAE, will have his first big challenge in Australia. Dravid said he and Rohit understand what the team combination should be for the mega event.

"I think we have got a fair idea between Rohit and myself and the selectors and the management," Dravid said after the 17-run win over West Indies in the third T20I that ensured a 3-0 sweep here on Sunday. "I don't think there's a set formula to it. But we're pretty clear about the balance and the combination (for the T20 World Cup)... We are just structuring a little bit of the team around it and also balancing individual workloads as well. We have got a pretty fair idea of the kind of skills we're looking for in Australia, with the kind of guys who are in the running. Not everything is set in stone but we want to give everyone a fair chance to stake their claim for those spots."

The T20I series against West Indies was India's first in a packed calendar in the build-up to the World Cup and they next take on Sri Lanka in an identical three-match rubber starting in four days. In the absence of regulars like opener KL Rahul and pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, India gave opportunities to youngsters such as Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Avesh Khan to stake their claim for a place in the World Cup-bound squad.

India also tried out Shreyas Iyer, while Kishan doubled up as the wicketkeeper in the final T20I. Dravid said the whole process was about having the back-ups ready.

"We don't also want to restrict ourselves to just 15 players. We want to give players opportunities, ensure that by the World Cup, some of our guys have played at least 10-15-20 games," Dravid explained. — PTI

"It gives Rohit a chance to play them, bowl them in positions that he wants to, but he also has to be balanced with the fact that we need to have a few back-ups in case of an injury," he added.

Kishan opened in all the three matches of the series but the Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter failed to impress with just 71 runs at an average of 23.66.

In the final game, Gaikwad opened with Kishan as Rohit opted to bat at No. 4 but the duo had a tough time.

Dravid said the youngsters would not be judged on the basis of one series or a bad game.

"This is a tough format. We are asking them to play high-risk cricket. We're asking them to play shots all the time. And we don't judge them on a few games. It's not the way it's done. We try to give people as much as possible consistent runs. We're trying to give them opportunities to play and not judge them on a game to game basis or on one series," the former India batsman said. — PTI

Saha deserved honesty, says Dravid

India's head coach Rahul Dravid is not "hurt" by Wriddhiman Saha revealing the "difficult" conversation that the two had about his future as he firmly believes that the veteran wicketkeeper "deserved the honesty and clarity" which was provided to him. "I'm actually not hurt at all. I have deep respect for Wriddhi and his achievements and his contribution to Indian cricket. My conversation came from that place. I think he deserved honesty and clarity," Dravid said. "It's about conversations I constantly have with players. I don't expect players to always agree with everything I say about them. That's not how it works. You can have difficult conversations with the players, but that doesn't mean you brush it under the carpet and don't have the conversations," he added.

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