XtraTime Web Desk: In last few years time the most talked about thing in Indian cricket was the No.4 spot. This was one of the reasons that Kapil Dev-led Cricket Advisory Committee wasn’t satisfied before re-appointing Shastri as Head Coach for next couple of years. After his appointment Shastri has identified India’s No.4 in ODIs for the next few years.
Speaking exclusively to Times of India, Shastri said Shreyas Iyer will continue to bat at No. 4 in ODIs for India. “One of the areas we concentrated on over the last two years was to blood as many youngsters as possible. Shreyas Iyer, for instance, he is going to stay at No. 4,” said Shastri.
Iyer interestingly did not bat at No.4 in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against West Indies. With scores of 71 and 65, he was very successful batting at No. 5 in the two-matches – first ODI was a wash out – against West Indies. Rishabh Pant was India’s chosen No.4 in the but he however failed to grab the opportunities.
Iyer had also earned high praise from Indian captain Virat Kohli. “He understood the value of performing in these situations. The way he (Shreyas Iyer) batted out there, he took a lot of pressure off me. His knock was the game-changer. We want to have people take responsibility at different batting positions. But he certainly presented a strong case for himself. He completely played in full control and was putting pressure on the bowlers,” Kohli had said after the third ODI at Port of Spain.
Shastri also went to suggest that more youngsters will be tried in the Indian limited overs sides in the coming days. “Bench strength is everything if we’re looking at things from a long-term perspective. That constant flow of fresh, young talent has to be there. Be it Rishabh or Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Hardik, Mayank, Shankar – they’re there, constantly raising their hands up. That kind of a pool does wonders when the only objective is to ensure you don’t end up with, let’s say, any kind of deadwood,” Shastri said.