World Cup: Multiple permutations and combinations are being looked at in absence of Hardik Pandya, says Rahul Dravid

Head coach Rahul Dravid has stated that there are different combinations team management is looking at currently to play in India's next game against New Zealand at Dharamsala. Writes Meenakshi Rao

Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh): With an injured Hardik Pandya out of the playing 11 for India’s crucial game against New Zealand, head coach Rahul Dravid and the team management have been mulling whether Surya Kumar Yadav and Mohammed Shami would be the best options to take at Dharamsala.

"It is nice to have Ishan (Kishan), he’s been playing well. He's a left-hander. But again, Surya (Surya Kumar Yadav) has also come into some great form against Australia. Played a couple of fantastic innings. Fantastic player against spin. Left arm spin or off-spin, or any kind of spin, for that matter," Dravid said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday.

"So, if you are looking for someone who might be a bit of an enforcer for us in the lower middle order, then Surya (Surya Kumar Yadav) is certainly someone who can do that. If you are looking for someone a little bit higher up the order, then maybe we might go with Ishan (Kishan),” he said, adding that a lot of permutations and combinations were looked at before deciding over the playing 11.

Shardul Thakur has had no batting opportunity thus far and has gone for quickfire runs in the last two matches. His role was to be a bowling all-rounder. “He is someone who has a happy knack of taking wickets and being a fourth seaming option for us on certain wickets. He hasn't had a chance to really bat a lot over the last bit. But he's been working very hard in the nets with his batting. We've seen that he has the ability to hit big shots. Of course, more in Test cricket, not so much in one-day cricket as yet, because he has not had the opportunity to bat much,” Dravid said.

With Hardik Pandya not being there and one of those four seamers, the combination now needs to be looked at. “Having someone like (Mohammed) Shami sitting out there and bringing him in this game is a great option. In some cases, there is (Ravichandran) Ashwin who has obviously been sitting out, who has a great quality as well. So, there are two or three combinations we could use considering this till Hardik (Pandya) gets back,” he said.

Hardik Pandya has been an important player for the team, an all-rounder who has helped balance the squad out well. “These kind of things can happen. We might not have the kind of balance that we probably used in the first four games. We will have to see what works best for these conditions and these wickets," Dravid added.

Praising the output of the spinners, Rahul Dravid praised the way the three bowled in the first game and Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja in the next three. “They've been able to bring us back into games, control games, take wickets, bring the run rate down – it’s all to their skill and ability,” he said. The two spinners, he added, come with different skills even though both of them are left-arm spinners. “They’re different kinds of left-handed bowlers, left-arm spinners. So that gives us variation, gives us different angles,” Dravid said.

The dew factor, Dravid said, will be there. However, he cited the example of The Netherlands bowling under the lights and recording a win against South Africa despite the dew. "We are in Dharamsala, the temperature is cold so there will be dew. But you can't think much about it. You can make tactics and strategies according to that, but you have no guarantee that you will win the toss. So, you have to plan for both,” he said, adding that “we have seen that The Netherlands defended against South Africa. So, it's not like you can't defend. If you have to bowl in dew, you have to make a few more runs. You have to play positively and give yourself a cushion. Then you can also bowl and defend."