'Rest is not even a discussion, every match is important' - India's bowling coach Paras Mhambrey ahead of Netherlands fixture

After an overwhelming victory against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the opening encounter, the action now shifts to the Sydney Cricket Ground for the Rohit Sharma-led side for the fixture against the Netherlands in the T20 World Cup 2022.

Going into the game as clear favourites, there is an option for the management to rest and rotate the players given the longevity of the tournament. Hardik Pandya who played a crucial knock of 40 against Pakistan and also picked up three wickets did experience a few cramps.  

Alongside Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel and Suryakumar Yadav didn't feature in the team's optional training session on Tuesday despite being fit. India have seen quite a lot of injuries already to important players, including Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, and hence, Pandya’s fitness plays a huge role going forward.  

However, India’s bowling coach Paras Mhambrey feels that there isn’t any room for rest in a big tournament like T20 World Cup and explained the role of Pandya in the side. 

Hardik wants to play all the games: Paras Mhambrey 

Mhambrey mentioned that Pandya is keen to play all the games and denied any thoughts of resting any particular player. He further lauded Pandya for playing a big role with the bat and ball and credited him for the match-winning partnership (113 runs) alongside Virat Kohli. He concluded that resting would not be a point of discussion with all the matches being important.  

"Hardik wants to play all the games. That is important. And we are not looking at whom to rest, there is no such thought about any particular player. Hardik is a very important player for us. He adds a lot of balance, he is both bowling and batting. Other than that, his attitude on the field is important. Like you saw in the last match, he played a crucial innings.

Yes, Virat [Kohli] finished it off, but to recognise the fact that the pressure will shift to the opposition if the game goes deep, you need experience. So much of Virat's performance's credit should be given to Hardik as well. Rest is not even a discussion. Every match is important," Mhambrey was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.  

Speaking on the combination of Pandya playing as the fifth bowler in the side, Mhambrey said that it will depend on conditions. 

"I think that will totally depend on the conditions that we play. Yeah, purely on that. It's good that Hardik does give you that four-overs option, and that's what we wanted. He brings a lot of balance to the team once he does that, and he also has been very effective for us. He's picked up wickets, and that's important for us. But having said that, getting a batsman in or the different combination will purely depend on the team that we are playing and also the conditions," he added. 

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