Follow UsIndian cricket is in a precarious position in world cricket. Whilst they have definitely been one of the top sides in Test cricket, their journey could only take them to the World Test Championship (WTC) final, where they finished runners-up. But with that runners-up finish, India ushers into a new era that requires a lot of changes, with the need to inject more youngsters into the setup.
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri talked about the same and insisted that India need to strike the right balance in their ODI setup, with at least two left-handers in the top six. In the absence of Rishabh Pant, India’s search for left-handers has extended to Ishan Kishan and Yashasvi Jaiswal, both capable of easily destructing opponents.
"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," Shastri told The Week.
"You have Ishan Kishan. In the wicketkeeping department, you have Sanju [Samson]. But the left-handers, you have [Yashasvi] Jaiswal, Tilak Varma. There is enough left-handed talent that can replace any senior player at the momentum,” he added.
Shastri didn’t end the list there, suggesting that even the likes of Nehal Wadhera and Sai Sudharsan, who have impressed one and all in the Indian Premier League, could be fast-tracked into the national team.
"There are so many youngsters. There is Jaiswal and, I might miss out a few here, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera. There is [Sai] Sudharsan, who played so well in the [IPL] final. There is Jitesh Sharma," he said.
One talented player that is yet to realise his potential at the international cricket level is Sanju Samson, someone whose talent has no boundaries. Shastri opined that he would be ‘disappointed’ if Samson doesn’t finish his career all guns blazing and drew a parallel with the Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma.
"There is Sanju [Samson], who I believe is yet to realise his potential. He is a match-winner. There is something that is missing. I will be disappointed if he does not finish his career all guns blazing. It is like when I was the coach, I would have been disappointed if Rohit Sharma had not played in my side as a regular Test player. Hence, his opening the batting. I feel similar with Sanju," he said.
Shastri also liked the idea of India drawing a page out of England’s white-ball book, with a pool of 15-20 players, which could allow them to have a plan B and C, in case there arises a need.
"You have a lot of injuries these days. I always like a pool of 15-20. You should always be prepared, you should have a plan B, plan C."