Mumbai: India opener Rohit Sharma has said that he is not thinking too far ahead with talks going about the composition of the team for next year’s World T20 and is focused only on the series-deciding third T20I against West Indies to be played on Wednesday evening.
India won the first match of the series by six wickets while registering their highest-ever successful run chase in T20Is in Hyderabad. However, in the second T20I, the hosts came out with a lacklustre performance and were comprehensively beaten in Thiruvananthapuram, thus forcing the series to be decided at the Wankhede.
“See, I don’t want to keep saying that we are trying to build a squad for the (T20) World Cup. It is still a long-long way ahead,” Rohit told the media on Tuesday. “We just need to focus on winning the series and that will keep us in good state, moving forward.”
With next year’s World T20 in sight, India are giving chances to youngsters in order to build a strong pool of players from which they can eventually select the final squad for the prestigious tournament.
According to the 32-year-old, what the team needs to focus upon is working on their basics and winning the games in order to prepare for World T20 slated to be played in Australia.
“If we keep winning games, keep doing the right things on the field, the composition of the team will take care (by itself),” he said.
West Indies coach Phil Simmons, meanwhile, said that dropping catches could be a major reason behind the defeat of any team and and if any player drops a catch, it’s his fault and he shouldn’t cite any excuse for it.
In the ongoing T20I series between India and the West Indies, many catches have been dropped by the players from both the sides and Simmons felt that players should keep working hard to avoid fielding lapses.
“You will not win games if you drop catches. The players will have to tell you if it is the lights or whether it is their execution or their position,” Simmons said on the eve of the third and final T20I of the series.
“I do not like excuses. I think if you drop a catch, it is your fault. You can blame the lights, but I think we just have to keep working hard so that we do not drop any catches,” he added.
With the match set to played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the Windies coach felt that his team would benefit from the experience of skipper Kieron Pollard who has spent 10 years with Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.
Pollard has played a lot of cricket at the Wankhede Stadium and Simmons feels his experience will help the West Indies bowlers.
“Pollard has played a lot at this venue, while the others have not played that much. He knows things inside out and that will definitely help our bowlers. There are a few youngsters in the team and it will definitely help them,” Simmons said in the pre-match presser.
