Rohit Sharma-led Team India lost the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia earlier in the month. It was the country's second successive defeat in the WTC final after enduring the same fate in 2021. The Indian team and the players are currently on an extended break as the nation's next assignment is against West Indies for a full-fledged bilateral series.
India are set to play two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is on the tour of the West Indies starting July 12 post a long break after the WTC final. The first Test of the new WTC cycle will begin on July 12 at Windsor Park, Dominica. Post the West Indies Test series, India will not play a Test match till December.
Former India captain and legendary batter, Sunil Gavaskar has been critical of Indian players' performance in the WTC final. The cricketer-turned-pundit, who had earlier opined that 'hammering West Indies 2-0 in the Test series wouldn't mean anything', came up with a noteworthy take on the Indian squad for the upcoming Test series.
Gavaskar reckons that senior Indian cricketers should have been rested for the tour and youngsters should have been preferred as West Indies are nowhere close to the dominant team they used to be. The former Indian captain stated that the upcoming series is just an opportunity for senior players to 'bulk up their individual career stats'.
"West Indies are no more the force they were in the last century as can be seen by the fact that they are currently playing in Zimbabwe to try and qualify for the ODI World Cup that they won twice in the 70s. So picking some younger players for the Test series would have made more sense," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.
"What is Indian cricket going to learn by picking the same seniors for the two Test matches who have now failed to deliver in two World Test Championship finals. How does it even matter if they score heaps of runs and take a bunch of wickets in the Caribbean apart from it bulking up their individual career stats," he added.
Furthermore, Gavaskar justified his statement by pointing out the 2023 ODI World Cup which is scheduled to be played later in the country. The former India captain said that senior players could have been given some rest and the focus should now be on prioritising white-ball cricket, keeping the quadrennial ICC tournament in mind.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
'He can celebrate in the way he wants': England batter defends teammate Ollie Robinson amidst intense criticism for Usman Khawaja send-off
Zimbabwe become USA's nightmare to become 2nd team since India to win ODI by more than 300 runs, smash 24-year-old record
