India ready to face World Cup challenges without Hardik Pandya, assures Rahul Dravid
India’s ODI World Cup campaign suffered a major setback yesterday when star all-rounder Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the tournament due to an ankle injury sustained during the team’s match against Bangladesh. Pandya, 30, had been sidelined for three matches following the injury, but his progress towards recovery was not as quick as expected.
It was initially expected that he would make a timely return for the tournament’s final stages but that hasn’t materialized. Pandya’s absence is a significant blow to the Indian team as his all-around abilities provide the skipper with a much-needed sixth bowling option and add balance to the lineup. In the three matches that he missed, India had to play an extra batter and a specialist seamer to make up for his absence, highlighting his importance to the team.
Despite the loss of Hardik Pandya, India’s head coach Rahul Dravid remains optimistic, expressing confidence in the team’s ability to adapt and overcome his absence, as they have successfully done in the past few matches. Dravid acknowledged Pandya’s importance to the team but suggested that they are prepared to face this challenge.
“The sixth option is something that Hardik gave us. But we have been playing the last four games without the sixth bowling option. We also played a couple of games in the Australia series before the World Cup without the sixth option. We won two of our games, in Mohali and Indore, when we played only with five bowling options”, Dravid said.
“So, we have responded well to that challenge. Yes, of course, we probably won’t have that sixth bowling option in these games. But the response of the team and the players has been really good when we have not had it. I think we have played enough games without having it”, he went on to add.
Kolkata is all set for the ‘Top of the table’ clash
The highly anticipated match between India and South Africa is set to take place today at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, marking the penultimate group fixture for both teams in the ongoing World Cup. India has been on a remarkable winning streak, remaining undefeated after seven consecutive matches. South Africa, too, has been in excellent form, dropping just one game out of their seven.
With both teams eyeing a top spot in the group stage, the match today is expected to be a fierce battle of cricketing prowess. Pundits and fans alike believe that these two teams are likely to meet again in a couple of weeks, making today’s encounter even more crucial.
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