Team India practice indoors due to rain ahead of the 2nd ODI against Windies

India and the Windies brace themselves for another bout of rain in Trinidad and Tobago, but their mandatory practice was done indoors. Whether we will have a complete game of cricket on Sunday is uncertain, but the Indian Cricket Team nevertheless trained under a roof ahead of the scheduled 2nd ODI at the Queen’s Park Oval.

The rains on Friday, which forced the first ODI to be called off after 30 odd overs in the first innings, has left the practice pitches in bad shape. It seems the pitches have remained uncovered all through the past few days, which comes as surprise to most. Indian skipper Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik and Kedar Jadhav were therefore forced to use the indoor facilities.

Meanwhile, as India have arrived at the Caribbean sans coach, batting coach Sanjay Bangar has had to shoulder added responsibilities in the absence of head coach Anil Kumble. Bangar said Anil Kumble’s absence has clearly left a void in the team. However, Sanjay Bangar conceded that in order to understand the team, you need to spend time with the players.

“We are certainly missing him. But we have to make do with what we have. It is very difficult to find a prescription for a coach…. But (speaking about himself) you need to spend enough time with the boys to understand them,” said the former Railways captain and all-rounder. “MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli have stepped up and assumed responsibilities,” Bangar told the media ahead of the 2nd ODI.

Doubts over Dhoni and Yuvraj for 2019 World Cup

At the same time, there is a cloud of doubt hovering over the heads of MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh as to whether they will be able to hold the middle order till the 2019 World Cup. Both veterans buckled under pressure in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy against Pakistan. Furthermore, Yuvraj was dismissed for a meager 4 runs in the first ODI against the Windies.

Upon being asked whether Yuvi and MS would make the cut for the 2019 World Cup, Sanjay Bangar said, “We have a pool of 25 players to pick from. Fitness is the main concern. If these guys stay fit, then they definitely stand a chance to play the World Cup.”

MS Dhoni will also be wary of his form with the bat, as Rishabh Pant stands next in line. Although Dhoni is arguably the best keeper in the circuit today, he hasn’t been able to contribute as much with the bat as he’s been expected to. Young Rishabh Pant, however, has made an impact with his aggressive strokeplay in the recently concluded IPL.

A set of new faces did take the field on Friday thanks to Kohli’s initiative, and Pant could well be given a chance after Ajinkya Rahane got to open the innings, and Kuldeep Yadav made it to the playing XI as well.