Veteran India player Dinesh Karthik has supported the idea of having a different set of coaches for India in Test and white-ball cricket. He also gave the example of reigning white-ball champions (ODI and T20I) England – the only country with different coaches for the different formats as well. However, he also said that both England and India play too much cricket. Hence, India are also likely to follow this move.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Karthik said: “I don’t mind having a different Test coach and white-ball coach, which is something that the English team has embraced and let’s be honest, I think there are only two countries that play so much cricket, India and England. When it comes to the volume of cricket played, especially, interestingly, you have tours overlapping as well. You are gonna see coaches, obviously, choosing which is of more context.”
Dinesh Karthik also backed the head coach Rahul Dravid, who has been rested alongside the veteran players after the T20 World Cup in Australia as well. However, the coach will join Team India for the Bangladesh tour next month, comprising three ODIs and a couple of Tests as well.
Karthik further shared that only six players would be common in India’s squad for ODIs in New Zealand and Bangladesh as the gap is only of three days – Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, and Deepak Chahar.
A well deserved Player of the Match award for @surya_14kumar as #TeamIndia win by 65 runs in the 2nd T20I 👏👏
Scorecard – https://t.co/OvmynDiyd8 #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/TuYSRsIIgQ
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 20, 2022
“I don’t think India can be in two places at the same time” – Dinesh Karthik
“Look, I think, as we speak, on the 30th, the team is going to Bangladesh and this series isn’t going to get over till the 30th. I don’t think India can be in two places at the same time. So, it’s very understandable that a coach opts out of it and that is something that Team India need to look for, the 2024 World Cup and 2023 One Day World Cup,” he shared.
On the other hand, NCA head VVS Laxman is currently with the Indian team, serving as the Team India head coach on the ongoing New Zealand tour, comprising three T20Is and as many ODIs as well. And, Dinesh Karthik feels that Team India will now focus on the upcoming Test series in Bangladesh and Australia, keeping the World Test Championship final in mind.
“I think two Tests in Bangladesh and four Tests in Australia is what the captain and coach are looking forward to now because if you win five of those six Tests, then we have a chance, a crack at the World Test Championship final that happens in July. That will be the biggest priority now; hence, they have chosen to be part of those series. That’s why you’ll see a full-fledged team going to Bangladesh and then to Australia Test series,” Dinesh Karthik concluded.
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