Rohit Sharma undecided on Playing XI, says ‘Don’t need to be reminded of ICC drought’, Follow WTC Final LIVE

Reporter: After two months of rigorously shuttling down from one city to another during the IPL, how would you recover from the fatigue? Or it is still continuing? 

Rohit Sharma: We've been playing cricket like this for the last, I don't know how many years, series after series. I don't know when was the last time we had a good amount of break. But honestly, all the guys are used to playing a lot of cricket now. That is why we talk about this workload management. We try and rest players wherever we can to make sure that they are fresh for this upcoming series and things like that. This is part of your job now. You do understand that there's a lot of cricket that has been played. But it's important to manage the players, manage their loads, make sure that they're fresh and we are trying everything we can from our side to make sure that everyone's fresh and it's not just now - even last year we played IPL, then we came to UK we played that test match and then we played three ODIs, three T20s after that. So it's been happening almost every year now like that. So it's nothing new for us. We are quite used to this kind of schedule. But that is where the management comes into play of managing players and their workloads.

Reporter: This is obviously the second time India have been in this final. Is there anything you've learnt from the game against New Zealand that could be useful to you in this match? 

Rohit Sharma: Yeah, look, last time we played, we did make a few mistakes, which we have already spoken about in this group. Obviously, there are a few guys missing from that squad. But yeah, I mean, we are quite excited about the score as well. You know, it's a good challenge to have. And yeah, we know exactly what went wrong for us in the last championship final. So we hopefully will not repeat those kind of things. That is all you want to do as a sportsman. You don't want to repeat mistakes that can get the better results eventually. So we've played the opposition a fair bit in the last two or three months so we know what they are capable of - so it's just about considering all the factors and pulling it through. 

Reporter: Rohit, the 10.30 am start, half an hour early, how does that alter the game in England? Alter the game, change the game. It's 11 o'clock. 

Rohit Sharma: I mean, see, the last championship we played was also at 10.30. In England, I mean, half an hour difference doesn't make too much of a difference. Honestly, we played a lot of cricket in England in the last two years. So I don't think it's going to make too much of a difference whether it starts at 11 or 10.30. As long as we are focused on what we want to do and things that we want to do, I think it's all good. Like I said, whether it's 10:30, 10:45 or 11, it doesn't really make too much of a difference. 

Reporter: Rohit, I know you said you are going to wait until tomorrow to decide upon the team. But how difficult is it to essentially leave out a player like Ravi Ashwin when you consider all that he's achieved in test cricket if you don't play two spinners? 

Rohit Sharma: Yeah, see, I've not said that Ashwin is not going to play. We'll wait until tomorrow - because one thing I have seen here - the pitch actually changes quite a bit day to day. Today it's looking the way it is. Tomorrow it might be slightly different, who knows. So the message to the boys has been very clear, all 15 must be ready to play at any point in time. And we'll see the conditions tomorrow as well and make that decision as to who gets into that playing 11. 

Reporter: I just wanted to ask, the matches that will be played now, we are talking about conditions and everything, But one thing that always happens is that India has not won the ICC tournament for so many days. Is this thing playing in your mind? Like an extra added pressure that India has not won the ICC tournament for so many days. 

Rohit Sharma: No, see we know what we have won and what we have not won. There is no point in thinking about it again and again. Last year when we were in Australia for the T20 World Cup, we were asked the same question, and I answered the same question. The players know when India won and when they didn't. I don't think it is right to think about it again and again. You have to focus on the situation and how we can do better. All the players and coaching staff are focused on how we can do well in this match and win. Because what has happened and what is going to happen in the future, there is no point in thinking about that. It is very important to think about the present. Our team's focus is on how we will win this match. 

Reporter: This is the first time a test match will be happening here in June at this ground. Keeping that in mind and keeping the weather, your thoughts on the combination? 

Rohit Sharma: Yeah, look, We've been hearing about not much of cricket has been played here in June, but county season actually has been played here. We saw there was a game played a couple of weeks back here. So it's not like it's the first game of the season happening on this ground. We are quite aware of what the conditions are, what is going to happen in the next five days. The weather forecast looks all right. But yeah, in terms of the combination, I think it's better that we wait till tomorrow. That's a common answer, I think. 

I don't remember the last time Team India had a long break. It's been happening every year. It's nothing new for us. We are quite used to it. 

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The pitch is constantly changing. How will be the pitch tomorrow, don't know, I would not say that Ashwin is not playing. Will see tomorrow's condition, how will the pitch be, then decide who will play

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