India to mark depth of talent with Lanka tour

MUMBAI: Indian cricket will soon be the envy of the world when it showcases its bench strength in a limited-overs series in Sri Lanka while the Test squad continues preparations for the series in England. Their commercial appeal and a heavy demand from all cricket playing countries for a tour by India has led to the talk of whether having two teams playing at different places will become the norm in the future.

Coach Rahul Dravid expects that to be the case for now, although any long-term plan will have to be well thought out. “Short-term, in terms of the situation and quarantine and so on, yes this is the answer—eases pressure on the team. It’s becoming difficult for players to go through the same kind of restrictions. Long term, it’ll need a lot more discussion,” the former India captain said on the eve of the team’s departure.

While there have been other countries that had a lot of depth to put up more than one squad, like West Indies in the 1980s and Australia of the 1990s, for international tours to be a commercial success in the present day, having star value is important. That’s where this team to Sri Lanka stands out. With the likes of Hardik Pandya, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav and Prithvi Shaw, there’s no dearth of star appeal that advertisers seek; not to mention the massive brand value Dravid himself commands.

“With the quarantine being as strict as it is at this point, travel between countries becomes very restricted. It also becomes hard

to complete the tours and complete our engagements. Maybe this might have to be done or followed. India didn’t have an option,” he said on the England and Sri Lanka tours overlapping.

For the players and the team management, the T20 series carries added value as the three games are their only matches before this year’s T20 World Cup, hosted by India and likely to be held in the UAE. The team management in England will no doubt keenly follow the performances in Sri Lanka. Dravid said two selectors are accompanying the squad while he himself would co-ordinate with Virat Kohli & Co.

“These are the only games before the T20 World Cup and am sure the selectors and management have a fair idea by now on the squad they are looking for. It’s a chance for a few people to push for the one or two spots the management may be looking at, just to give them a few more options over the next few T20s. I’ve had a little bit of contact with

the team management in England, didn’t want to disturb them during the WTC, but will touch base over the next couple of weeks on what their plans are.”

It will be an ideal opportunity for the youngsters to make a case. For 21-year-old Prithvi Shaw, Devdutt Padikkal (20), Ruturaj Gaikwad (24) and Ishan Kishan (22), it’s not just an opportunity to showcase their skills—they will go with the confidence they are long-term prospects. Dravid, who has had a big hand in their development as he has worked with them since their U-19 days, said: “It’s crucial for a lot more people. Obviously, this is a crucial tour for Padikkal or Ruturaj or… a lot of the younger boys who have come into the set-up. They would all be keen do well and set a marker (for the selectors).”

India, captained by Shikhar Dhawan, will play three ODIs (July 13, 16, 18) and T20s (July 21, 23, 25) with all games to be played in Colombo.