'Many think India's only job is to win WCs': Ashwin schools Rohit-Dravid's critics, backs team experiments

India recently won the three-match ODI series versus West Indies, in the Caribbean island, 2-1. Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue won the series opener, by five wickets, but they played a second-stringed side, with Rohit and Virat Kohli being rested, to lose the second and penultimate tie by six wickets. Despite the defeat, and heavy criticism for playing a second-stringed line-up, India again rested Rohit and Kohli and entered the third ODI with the series on the line.

However, the Hardik Pandya-led side came to their best in the finale and posted a mammoth 351/5. In reply, Shai Hope-led West Indies were bundled out for 151 in 35.3 overs and lostby 200 runs in Trinidad, on Tuesday (August 01). Despite the series triumph, many critics slammed the Dravid-led Indian team management for not playing their regulars in the three ODIs with the 50-over World Cup only a few months away, to be held in India in October-November.

'Seriously don’t understand why this outrage'

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Now, veteran Indian off-spinner R Ashwin has schooled Rohit-Dravid's critics. "India lost the second ODI, and immediately the trend in social media was - why so-and-so players played and why so-and-so players did not play. I seriously don’t understand why this outrage. Rohit and Virat didn’t play in the second ODI. Even in the first match, Rohit batted lower down the order. So the debate was around whether Rohit and Virat should have played," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

'The reason why we are favourites for ODI World Cup is the IPL'

Ashwin further pointed out, “Some of them were perplexed at how we lost to a team that didn’t even qualify for the World Cup. Many people think that India’s only job in international cricket is to win World Cup. The main reason why we consider ourselves favourites to win the World Cup is because of the IPL. ODI matches are very stressful. It will take at least two days for your body to recover. The first two matches in West Indies were played in a gap of 24 hours. Thus, there are more chances of you getting injured. Already we have so many players recovering at the NCA. Bumrah is back after a long hiatus. Prasidh Krishna is back too. So, we have so many injury problems. It seems like people are finding points to blame Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma just for the sake of it."

The 36-year-old Test specialist added,"They are trying different players now because they know what they went through during the last T20 World Cup. We didn’t have Ravindra Jadeja and Bumrah, and we didn’t have many fast bowlers. That’s why we are trying different options before the ODI World Cup."

At present, the Hardik Pandya-led Indian T20I team is set to lock horns with West Indies in the five-match series opener on Thursday (August 03) in Trinidad. After the West Indies tour, Rohit-Dravid-led Indian team will gear up for the Asia Cup, in the ODI format, which will be an ideal dress rehearsal for the home WC. They will hope for the likes of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul to be deemed fit sooner than later, with Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna set to comeback in next month's Ireland T20Is, to strengthen their line-up before the ODI showpiece event later this year.

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