Team India’s optional nets session on Tuesday ahead of their World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh revealed intriguing details about their team combination. Indian players enjoyed a well-deserved rest day on Monday following a splendid start to their 2023 World Cup campaign.
After their win against Pakistan on Saturday at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Team India landed in Pune on Sunday. They took a day off before engaging in an optional practice session on Tuesday.
During the innings break of the match between Netherlands and South Africa, Star Sports shared a clip of India’s practice session that caught the attention of former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar. In the video, Rohit Sharma was seen bowling to Ravindra Jadeja. This prompted Manjrekar to speculate about India’s bowling strategy against Bangladesh.
“That’s quite a scene! He mentioned it in the press conference at the beginning of the tournament. We’ve stopped discussing it as India is doing well. It’s beneficial to have a batsman with bowling skills, and Rohit Sharma’s talent is impressive. India might be seeking extra bowling support, especially against sides like Bangladesh with several left-handed batsmen in the top 7,” he said.
However, the video also showed Rohit consulting with Ravichandran Ashwin after his bowling spell. Manjrekar raised eyebrows, suggesting that Ashwin might be advising Rohit on his bowling to keep himself out of the playing XI.
“It seems they’re intentionally sidelining Ashwin, who is a notable choice. This might involve omitting a seam bowler, indicating hesitancy in counting on Hardik Pandya as the third seamer. Ashwin advising Rohit could be a subtle move to exclude himself from the playing XI,” Manjrekar said.
Rohit Sharma, who last bowled in an ODI match in 2016, faced a challenging net session on Tuesday.
The unusual net session has left fans and experts speculating about India’s playing XI and their strategic approach in the upcoming match.