India vs West Indies 2023: #SackDravid trends after team's gamble to rest Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma backfires
Indian team's controversial decision to rest senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli raises concerns among fans as they struggle against West Indies, leading to trending hashtag #SackDravid and questions about their preparation for the forthcoming ODI World Cup.
FollowThe absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the Indian team in the 2nd ODI against West Indies left many fans and experts baffled. As the search for the perfect team combination for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 continued, the decision by the Indian team management to rest the two senior-most players was met with criticism. To make matters worse, India lost the match to West Indies, only managing to put 181 runs on the board. This disappointing performance led fans to target head coach Rahul Dravid on Twitter.
India's below-par show in the match raised concerns about the team's preparation plans for the World Cup. The No. 4 spot in the batting order remained a persistent worry for the team, and the inconsistent team selections by the management, including coach Dravid, left many fans puzzled. As a result, the hashtag #SackDravid began trending on social media, with fans fearing another failure at an ICC event.
In response to questions about Rohit and Kohli's absence from the second ODI, Dravid explained that playing the veteran duo would not have provided the team with the necessary answers. He emphasized that they always consider the bigger picture and cannot focus on individual games or series. With only a few matches left before the World Cup and Asia Cup, the management had to make decisions with the long-term goals in mind.
"We will always look into the bigger picture and we cannot think about every single game and series. In the series like this, with only two-three matches to go before the world cup and Asia cup, playing Virat and Rohit would not have given us answers," Dravid said after the match.
"We are not too worried about others opinions, these are the talented boys from our country, they all have performed and come here. It is up to them to take the opportunity when they are given the opportunity. We were little disappointed toward, we knew it was a tricky wicket and not an easy wicket to bat on but we needed to somehow get to 230-240 that could have been a very good score. We lost wickets in the middle and were 50-60 run short," he further explained.
Overall, Dravid's response reflected a focus on the team's development and a willingness to take calculated risks in preparation for the upcoming tournaments. However, it remains to be seen how the team will respond to the recent criticism and if they can address the concerns before the crucial ODI World Cup 2023.
