With two weeks to go for the 2019 World Cup, Team India’s head coach Ravi Shastri has said that the Men in Blue are a flexible side with enough ammunition in their arsenal to combat different challenges in the mega event.
Team India’s No. 4 conundrum in the 50-over format has been a topic of discussion for some time now and the selectors have shown faith on Vijay Shankar after trying few players for the spot. But Shastri said there is not one player, who is certain to play in that position.
"We are a flexible team. It's horses for courses, we have got enough ammunition. We have got enough players who can bat at 4. So, I am not really worried about that," Shastri said in an interview with CricketNext.
"I think we have got all bases covered. Last thing you want is passengers on the tour. You want to have in those 15 players ... Who can play anytime, at any given time. If there is a major injury to a fast bowler, there will be a replacement almost straight away," he added.
While Kedar Jadhav sustained a shoulder injury during the just-concluded IPL, wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s lacklustre showing in the lucrative league has been a cause of concern. But Shastri said it doesn't worry him at all.
"In-fact I am totally blanked out from that. When the flight takes off on the 22nd, (May) we will see who are the 15 on that and just take it from there. Luckily in Kedar's case, there is no fracture so we will wait and watch. There is still time so it should be ok," he remarked.
The chief coach said a team can't pre-plan for a big event like the World Cup and the four years leading up to the event is the time to prepare.
"In these big tournaments.... You go with the flow, you react spontaneously to different situations and the four years that have gone in between the World Cup, that's what prepares teams," he asserted.
Ravi Shastri singled out West Indies and Australia as teams to watch out for in the quadrennial event.
"When they (West Indies) were in India I said we might have beaten them but we had a tough series and they played some excellent cricket. And I said that at the given time, there was no (Chris) Gayle, there was no (Andre) Russell in that side," he said.
"I said watch out for this side, they have serious talent and I was very happy about that. Because you have played in the glory days of West Indies against some of the best players to have played the game and then the country has gone through some real debacles.
"The power hitting there is something that no team comes close. When it comes to the sheer ability to hit sixes, they are way up the ladder there.
Commenting on defending champions Australia, Shastri added: "You would expect that from Australia. They have won more World Cups than any other team in the last 25 years. There is never an Australian team which is not competitive. And now they have got all their players back and they seem to be in pretty good form but then again in the World Cup it is that given day."
