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The team has come to terms with all the adjustments
that come with all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s absence, according to India’s head
coach Rahul Dravid. The main one is that they had to play with just five
bowlers (two seamers and three seamers), which they did well in their first two
games.
“We have our wrong-footed, inswinging menace to
call upon,” joked Dravid in the press conference in Kolkata on the eve of
their game against South Africa, referring to Virat Kohli. While Kohli remains
the best sixth bowling option in the team, India haven’t really had the need to
turn to him regularly, considering the damage the rest of the attack has done.
In fact, the only time Kohli bowled in this World Cup was to complete a Pandya
over when the latter hobbled off injured in the game against Bangladesh.
Yet, this is one area where oppositions would look to
target as Temba Bavuma hinted. “They obviously only have five bowlers, so
they can, I guess, be put under pressure if one of their bowlers is not on
their day,” he said.
Dravid’s jest faded out to seriousness, quickly.
“I mean, obviously, the sixth option is something that Hardik gave us. But
you’re right as well that we have been playing the last four games without the
sixth bowling option. We also played a couple of games in the Australia series
before the World Cup without the sixth option. We won two of our games, both in
Mohali and in Indore, when we played only with five bowling options in those
games as well.
“So, we have responded really well to that
challenge. Yes, of course, we probably won’t have that sixth bowling option in
these games. But the response of the team and the players has been really good
when we have not had it. So, I think we have played enough games without having
it. And we seem to have done pretty well,” he explained.
Aside from the risk of an unreliable bowler in a
five-man attack—which is improbable given what India has done lately—losing
Pandya has left the lower order without consistent batting qualities. In answer
to a query about potential changes to India’s batting strategy, Dravid decided
to put his support behind the tail.
“I don’t think we are going to think about it too
much. I think there’s only been one game where we’ve probably felt the need for
the number eight and nine which was a game against England in Lucknow and
actually our number eight and nine – after the seventh wicket the next couple
of wickets gave us 46 critical runs on a tricky wicket.
“So, I think we’ve got to have confidence in our
8, 9, 10, 11. The ones that we have now, I think they are working very hard and
they are doing the best that they can. And I don’t think the batters really, to
be honest, need to think about it or worry about it. I think if you play good
cricket through the 50 overs and play according to the situation and what the
demands of the game are, I think there’s enough quality in that top seven to
look after itself,” he suggested.