During a recent press conference, India’s Head Coach, Rahul Dravid, expressed his satisfaction with India’s preparations for the ICC Men’s Cricket ODI World Cup 2023. He particularly highlighted their impressive 2-1 series victory against Australia before
Dravid emphasized the importance of key players such as Jasprit, Ashwin, Shreyas, and KL Rahul getting valuable game time leading up to the tournament. He underlined that facing a competitive side like Australia in the series makes the team’s overall readiness.
India will play two warm-up matches against England and the Netherlands on September 30 and October 3, 2023. Dravid noted that these practice matches, with a format of 15 vs 15, provide a unique challenge and help the team fine-tune their skills for the World Cup.
Jasprit Bumrah completed his 10 overs and managed to get some key wickets. Additionally, despite experiencing health issues, Siraj made a good effort by taking crucial wickets in the last match. Ashwin showed his character in the initial two games with valuable contributions. KL Rahul, returning to the team after a six-month absence, displayed wicket-keeping skills standing throughout the entire fifty overs, which was commendable. Shreyas also showcased his batting prowess with some impressive knocks in the recent games. Happy with how things are going, and it will help us to maintain the positive momentum before the World Cup.
Players Performance Before Indian ODI World Cup 2023 – Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid expressed his satisfaction with the comeback performances of players who were sidelined due to injuries. There are always areas you want to improve on, and we have addressed many of those concerns. Dravid further highlighted the positive aspect of injured players getting valuable time on the field, contributing with runs and wickets. However, he also acknowledged that there are always a few parts to be improved.
The upcoming Odi World Cup 2023 will be a more competitive and extensive challenge for us. Dravid also confirmed that the team, currently dispersed, will gather in Guwahati to prepare for the initial warm-up match against England.
Also, we’ve found a few challenges with viral fever spreading within the team camp. Managing the situation was quite challenging for management, as some players had to depart for personal reasons, and another set of players left for the Asian Games. Consequently, individuals like Rutu and Tilak had to join the Asian Games team. I anticipate that everyone will regroup in Guwahati by the night of the 28th or early morning of the 29th, and hopefully, the illness that has affected some players will have subsided by then.
PC: Cricbuzz
