Suresh Raina, the 2011 World Cup winning former Indian batter, has advised Rohit Sharma, the current India skipper, to contribute 2-3 overs with the ball in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final against Australia.
Raina, in an exclusive interview with India Today, emphasized the strategic advantage against Australia’s left-handers, citing Rohit’s previous success in taking a wicket with five deliveries against the Netherlands.
“I would say Rohit Sharma should bowl 2-3 overs. When the opposition has a lot of left-handers, he could be useful especially early on. They have Travis Head and David Warner, why don’t you come and bowl 2-3 overs,” Raina said.
Raina suggested that by having Rohit bowl, it would be a tactical move early on, especially with Australia’s left-handed batsmen like Travis Head and David Warner. This strategic decision could potentially provide extra overs for bowlers like Shami or allow Bumrah to bowl more overs in the initial phase of the match.
Additionally, Raina advocated for maintaining faith in Mohammed Siraj for the final and advised against including Ravichandran Ashwin. Acknowledging Siraj’s impressive performance with 13 wickets in 10 matches at an economy of 5.61 during the 2023 World Cup, Raina highlighted the consistency in Siraj’s form over the past 16 months.
Raina emphasized that giving Rohit a role with the ball for a couple of overs would negate the need for Ashwin, supporting the inclusion of Siraj. In the anticipation of the World Cup final, Raina expressed confidence in Siraj’s potential to be the Man of the Match, despite a potential off day.
As India seeks its third ODI World Cup title, Australia aims to secure a sixth ODI World Cup title, setting the stage for a highly anticipated final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19. India has reached its fourth ODI World Cup final, while Australia has entered the final for an unprecedented eighth time.
