SA beat IND: Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur new all-rounder? India’s search for the next all-rounder has received a big boost with Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur performing with the bat. While fast-tracking Venkatesh Iyer didn’t work out as expected, coach Rahul Dravid believes all the three guys should be given more opportunities to emerge as proper all-rounder and Hardik Pandya’s replacement. Follow Live Updates on Cricket on InsideSport.IN.
“I mean Deepak Chahar has shown in the opportunities he has gotten with us in Sri Lanka and over here well, he has got some really good ability with the bat. We know what he can do with the ball as well. I have seen him at India A as well and I know he can bat really well so certainly gives us a lot more options,” Rahul Dravid said at the post-match press conference on Sunday.
SA beat IND: Rahul Dravid picks Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur as all-rounder CONTENDERs to replace Hardik Pandya
SA beat IND: Rahul Dravid picks Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur as all-rounder CONTENDERs to replace Hardik PandyaSA beat IND: Rahul Dravid picks Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur as all-rounder CONTENDERs to replace Hardik Pandya
Team India head coach Rahul Dravid said that all-rounder Deepak Chahar has shown his quality in the limited opportunities he has gotten, and the side would like to give him more of a consistent run in the playing XI. Even though India suffered a humiliating whitewash in the three-match ODI series, the only positives were runs from Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar. Shardul scored 50 not out and 40 not out in the 1st and 2nd ODIs while Deepak Chahar scored a 34-ball 54 in a difficult situation in the 3rd ODI.
“It is nice to have people like him and Shardul Thakur as well, who we have seen in the last couple of games, contribute with the bat as well. So, obviously, the more and more players like this who can contribute lower down certainly makes a big difference and give us more options. So, certainly, we would like to give Deepak more games along with Shardul and a lot of other people who can step up in the course of next year or so and give us depth in the side,” Rahul Dravid said.
SA beat IND: Rahul Dravid picks Deepak Chahar as all-rounder CONTENDER to replace Hardik Pandya, says ‘He will get more opportunities with bat’
With 2023 World Cup in sight, Team India’s plans took a huge hit in the South Africa series. Rahul Dravid said it was an eye-opener but was not too concerned.
“I think this ODI series has been a good eye-opener for us. We have not played a lot of ODIs, this has been my first stint with the ODI side. Even the team itself has not played many ODIs after the 2019 World Cup. Luckily, we have got time to go before the 2023 World Cup. It is going to be a lot of cricket in white-ball format till 2023,” Dravid said.
SA beat IND: Rahul Dravid picks Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur as all-rounder CONTENDERs to replace Hardik Pandya
That’s that from the final ODI. South Africa win by 4 runs and take the series 3-0.
Scorecard – https://t.co/dUN5jhH06v #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/lqrMH4g0U9
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 23, 2022
“It is going to be a good opportunity for us to really reflect and learn and keep getting better. We will get better, there is no doubt that. We certainly good do better with the batting in middle overs, we understand the template and we know a large part of that template is also dependent on the balance of your squad,” he added.
India will next lock horns West Indies in three ODIs and three T20Is.
SA beat IND: Rahul Dravid picks Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur as all-rounder CONTENDERs to replace Hardik Pandya