No more changing and chopping in ODI side before World Cup: Ravi Shastri

It’s only 13 matches to go before India play their first game of World Cup 2019 and as per head coach Ravi Shastri, the Men in Blue will not indulge in any more “chopping and changing” with the ODI side in this period. India will be opening their campaign later than all other teams since the team has to have a minimum gap after the end of the Indian Premier League (IPL). India’s first opponent will be South Africa who they will take on at Rose Bowl, Southampton, on June 5.

According to Shastri, India will be playing around the 15 players who are certain to board the plane for the quadrennial tournament. India will be playing eight ODIs against Australia (three away, five at home) and five ODIs against New Zealand (all away) before they take on the field against the Proteas.

“We will try to play (those) 15, who will go to the World Cup. Chopping and changing is over now. The grace period is over now,” the Indian coach said in a press conference ahead of the team’s departure for the two-month long series against Australia that features three T20Is, four Tests and three ODIs.

‘Time to get focused’

“Now it is the time to really get focussed and play as a unit and then hopefully not have too many injuries, so that we don’t have to look elsewhere and take it from there. We don’t have too many games now. We have 13 games, so we will look to play the best team at all times,” he added.

Shastri’s words could give a hope to the fans of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman who was dropped from India’s scheme of things in the T20Is recently. The 37-year-old still continues to be India’s main keeper in the 50-over format although his batting form has dipped alarmingly over the last several months.

Speaking on India’s four-Test series Down Under starting December 6 in Adelaide, Shastri said the side will have to learn from their experience in the previous two foreign tours played in South Africa and Australia. India lost the series against the Proteas 1-2 while they lost to England 1-4.

“I see a lot of progress across all formats and I say that inspite of the (series) scoreline in England. When you look at actual performances in conditions that are foreign to us, we are more than happy,” he said.

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