Senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were Team India's two notable absentees from India vs West Indies 2nd ODI match in Barbados on Saturday. In Rohit's absence, Hardik Pandya was named as the stand-in skipper for the fixture. Axar Patel and Sanju Samson were named as Virat and Rohit's replacement in India's playing XI. The visitors, however, crumbled when asked to bat first after Shai Hope won the toss. India were bowled out for mere 181 runs in 40.5 overs. West Indies chased down the target in 36.4 overs to attain a comprehensive win, level the three-match series 1-1. This was India's first defeat against an opponent in ODIs after nine back-to-back victories. The third and final ODI will be played at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on August 1.
Despite India's shambolic defeat against a team that hasn't even qualified for ODI World Cup 2023, head coach Rahul Dravid backed team management's decision to experiment with the playing XI.
"This (IND vs WI ODI series) was our last chance to try out some of our players. We have a few players injured, at the NCA. With a month to go for the Asia Cup, we're running out of time in a lot of ways. We're hopeful that some of them will be fit for the Asia Cup and the World Cup. We can't take those chances. We've to try out other players and give some chances, so that in a worst-case scenario they have some game time behind them.
"It gives us some time to make decisions on players. We just felt that, in a series like this, with just two-three matches to go before the Asia Cup, playing Virat and Rohit would not have given us too many answers. With the injuries we have at the NCA and some uncertainty around them, we wanted to give the other boys some chance. So that, if required, they can play," Dravid added.
Dravid said he is not overly concerned after India's defeat in 2nd ODI as they were looking at the bigger picture, keeping upcoming multi-nation events in mind.
"We will always look at the bigger picture. At this stage in the cycle, with the Asia Cup and the World Cup coming up, in some ways with the injuries that we have, we have to look at the bigger picture. We can't look at every single game and every single series. If we do that, I think it will be a mistake."
"Today to give people chances, Virat and Rohit sat out. We might have to take those risks, take those chances in situations like that. If we're building for big tournaments and big events, we need to build some players and get some answers for specific positions, especially considering the situation we're in," Dravid explained.