India ready for WC 2019? Head coach Shastri answers

Shastri said that the Indian cricket team is all set for the ICC World Cup 2019 but there will be still one or two places in the squad that the team needs to decide

Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri said that the Indian cricket team is all set for the ICC World Cup 2019 but there will be still one or two places in the squad that the team needs to decide. Shastri also believes that it was important for players to not loose form with the World Cup just few months away.

The 56-year-old lauded star batsman Ambati Rayudu as India were heading towards another sub-100 total before Rayudu (90 off 113) played a crucial innings to ensure India ended with a fighting 252.

“I would think so. There will be still one or two places you will look at. In general, the team more or less picks itself. What you want is people not to lose their form with five games left before the World Cup. You in fact should pick every opportunity you get and make the most of it. And that is why I like the way Rayudu played today. This was the best game of the five matches, because from 18 for 4 to win the game, the way we did and Rayudu in particular. He batted like a millionaire in the last game,” Shastri told Star Sports after the match.

India overcame a disastrous start to earn a hard fought 35-run win over New Zealand in the fifth ODI Sunday to finish the series with a 4-1 scoreline in their favour, proving the heavy loss at Hamilton was an aberration.

Hardik Pandya's 45 off 22 balls also went a long way in India posting a challenging target and his two wickets later on showed why he is such an important member of the team.