India and Afghanistan are set to square off in the third and final ODI at Chepauk on June 20.
India and Afghanistan are set to square off in the third and final ODI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Saturday (June 20).
On the eve of the match, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate addressed a press conference, where he confirmed that KL Rahul will continue to bat down the order while Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the innings with Rohit Sharma.
He also revealed that Nitish Kumar Reddy is available for selection after missing the second ODI in Lucknow due to soreness in his left thigh.
"The versatility of the batting line-up is fantastic. I don't think it (Rahul batting up the order) is a consideration. We want to have a good look at Yashasvi as well. Obviously, he didn't get around to scoring the last game, so, he will probably get another go," Ten Doeschate told reporters.
"So I would imagine five batters plus Nitish Reddy and Washington. Nitish is obviously one of the batters, so, we don't make a change in the top three from the last game," he added.
The Dutchman indicated that Arshdeep Singh could be rested for the dead rubber. Having already taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, the hosts will be aiming for a clean sweep at Chepauk.
"We will be making a few changes from the first two games. I think part of the brief coming into the series was we wanted to try a few different combinations and give everyone a fair share of games."
"If someone like Arshdeep does very well in the first two games, he can take a rest tomorrow. The same point is applicable to some of the batsmen," he said.
Arshdeep's likely replacement could be Nitish, while newly joined pacer Harshit Rana is likely to be eased in.
Ten Doeschate confirmed that Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan have fully recovered their respective issues after batting for a long duration under scorching heat during the second ODI in Lucknow.
"Shubman... obviously, it was just the heat the other day and he didn't come onto the field. As far as I know, he was absolutely fine up there. He was just cramping his calves a little bit. Ishan on the shoulder, and now he's fine."
He praised Kishan's versatility, noting his successful evolution from a T20 specialist into a mature 50-over batter who can expertly pace an innings.
"I think with Ishan, the only concern was ever could he transform himself from a T20 specialist into a 50-odd player, potentially even a red-ball player. I think he showed that the other night.
"By nature, he's very aggressive and we still feel there's space for that in this team. You do have some solid batters around him if you include them in the team. With Shubman and Virat, you have two of the more classical guys, who are going to bat through the innings.
"He (Kishan) is a very versatile player. He can bat on top of the order, he can bat in the middle and obviously the fact that he's a top gloveman as well."
Ten Doeschate said the wicketkeeper-batter has ticked a lot of right boxes of late. "If you look at squad composition, he's someone who obviously stands out with the highest performance and the pressure in the T20 World Cup and how he stepped into this team and played a crucial role out there.
"I think he ticks a lot of boxes and so on. Like I said, purely for versatility is something you want in your squad," he explained.
The assistant coach expressed satisfaction over the development of Indian all-rounders in the last few months, particularly highlighting Nitish Kumar Reddy’s improvement.
"I would still say the majority of these guys are bowling all-rounders. When Hardik's fit, he obviously wins a different tournament because he's such a strong batter, such a strong finisher. That sort of role is difficult to find a finisher who can give you runs as well.
"Like I said with Nitish, for the last 18 months he's shown glimpses of how important he can be to this team, particularly in this format. I feel his body's getting stronger and I sort of feel he is the natural successor or backup to Hardik.
"But certainly nice to see these other guys chipping in and working on their games, - Dube and Harshit etc. The fact that we feel we've got guys who can hold the bat and obviously looking forward to the next 14-15 months, that is going to be very important, especially in South Africa when you want to play three proper out-and-out seamers," he elaborated.
With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj rested for the current series, the focus has shifted to the transition of younger pacers.
Ryan ten Doeschate was satisfied to see the performance of a second-string pace battery. "It's fantastic. Like I say, one of the big things when this coaching staff started was always going to be the transition of the bowlers, particularly with guys like Shami not playing anymore. This week or a couple of weeks ago when we got together in Chandigarh to see those three young guys coming in fold, it was literally like a Wow moment.
"The way Gurnoor (Brar) has bowled in his first two games, to see a young Indian pacer hit 147, 148, it's like, I'm sure you guys are all excited as we are. Obviously the T20 was a big lead up for the next 15 months and to balance the experience that this team has," he concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)