‘In 2011 we had Gambhir, Yuvraj…’: Shastri identifies missing link in India’s ODI World Cup plan
The blockbuster 2023 ODI World Cup kicks off in India in just a little more than three months and the Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue are left with just two ODI assignments – the West Indies series that begins next month and the Asia Cup in September – in their final phase of preparation for the tournament.
Ahead of the West Indies tour, where India play three ODI matches, former head coach Ravi Shastri made aware the incumbent management of a missing link in the batting order as he drew a comparison with the 2011 World Cup squad.
During an interview with The Week, Shastri was asked if the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill is confirmed for the World Cup, and while most would have agreed especially after the youngster’s stunning 2023 season- which includes a double hundred in ODIs, the veteran all-rounder opined that much will be decided closer to the tournament.
Shastri then highlighted the missing link in India’s batting order, shedding light on the dearth of left-handed batters in the squad. Well, there was Rishabh Pant, but a fatal car accident last December left him out of contention for a place in the World Cup team. Shastri said that India need at least two left-hand batters in the top six before he pointed out that in the 2011 squad, the team had three – Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir and Suresh Raina.
Shastri highlights importance of left-handers in batting order
“No, that is going to be a challenge. You will have to see closer to the event. Form again becomes important. You need to strike the right balance. Do you think a left-hander will make a difference at the top? It does not have to be opening, but in the top three or four. You have to weigh all those options. Ideally, in the top six, I would like to see two left-handers,” he said.
“Whenever you have done well [left-handers contributed]. In 2011, you had [Gautam] Gambhir, Yuvraj [Singh] and [Suresh] Raina. Go back to 1974… [Alvin] Kallicharran, [Roy] Fredericks, [Clive] Lloyd…. The same in 1979. The 1983 team was the only one that did not have a left-hander, but that whole tournament was against all odds. In 1987, Australia had enough… they had [Allan] Border at the top, they had another two or three, down the order. In 1996 Sri Lanka proved it again, with [Sanath] Jayasuriya, [Arjuna] Ranatunga, [Asanka] Gurusinha. And then Australia, with the Gilchrists and the Haydens. England have it now. That mix and balance has to be created.”
When asked who are the left-handed options India could look into ahead of the World Cup, Shastri picked three names.
“You have Ishan Kishan. In the wicketkeeping department, you have Sanju. But the left-handers, you have Jaiswal, Tilak Varma. There is enough left-handed talent that can replace any senior player at the moment,” he said.