Indian head coach Ravi Shastri spoke out the reason why regular skipper Virat Kohli was rested from the recently concluded Asia Cup. A few cricket pundits raised this point ahead and during the tournament. However, Rohit Sharma’s leadership calmed down the entire environment as the men in blue lifted the trophy for the record 7th time.
Revealing the actual reason behind resting the Indian skipper, Shastri said, “Virat needed this rest. Physically he is a bull. You can't give him out of the ground. And the thing with Virat is if he plays, then you know the level of intensity he brings. So it was a case of just mental fatigue, giving him a break, take your mind off cricket and then come back fresh.”
Virat is set to lead the 15-member Indian squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against West Indies scheduled to begin from October 4 at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot. The board has dropped openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay, who struggled in the Tests against England.
As a result, Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal have been included in the squad. Also, fast bowlers Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar have been rested which has made way for the pacers like Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur.
Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant impressed with his maiden century against England in the final Test against England and got yet another chance to don the white Indian jersey, replacing Dinesh Karthik.