"The new captain and coach need to sit down, talk and discuss the brand of cricket" - Tom Moody on Team India's first agenda in the new era
Former Australia cricketer Tom Moody outlined what should be Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid's first course of action as they take over the reigns of T20 cricket over from Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri. The upcoming T20 series against New Zealand will mark Dravid's first assignment as full-time head coach of Team India.
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Moody believes the newly-appointed captain and coach should discuss India's T20 cricket brand and decide whether to move forward with the same approach or make tweaks to the system in place. While speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Moody said:
"Firstly, The new captain and coach need to sit down, talk and decide what is the brand of cricket going to be for the next 12 months. Are they going about the right way now or do they need to make adjustments? Even in the adjustments, does it mean personnel? or those clear-cut conversations with individual players over their roles and responsibilities. Obviously, the selectors play a key role in this aspect."
Team India's approach during the initial set of matches at the T20 World Cup was widely criticized, leading to the prospect of introspection.
Must Watch: A stirring speech to sign off as the #TeamIndia Head Coach 👏 👏
Here's a snippet from @RaviShastriOfc's team address in the dressing room, reflecting on the team's journey in the last few years. 👍 👍 #T20WorldCup #INDvNAM
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You've got to have not only the playing XI sorted out, but also bench strength: Moody
Tom Moody also outlined the importance of deciding on a set XI along with a bench that could make their way into the side without disrupting the team combination. Dravid only has a year to figure things out as the next edition of the T20 World Cup takes place in 2022 itself. Moody added:
"With another World Cup coming in soon, you've got to have not only the playing XI sorted out, but you've got to have what falls in behind that. So, if there is the unexpected with injury or form, you have a seamless change. In those cases, instead of panic where multiple people move in the batting or bowling lineup to accommodate just one casuality, you just need that change where everyone understands where they fit in the puzzle."
The team combination is an area where Team India struggled in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Following Suryakumar Yadav's injury, the inclusion of Ishan Kishan meant the entire top-order had to be shuffled just to accommodate that solitary change.
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