India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has suggested possible India bowling lineup changes before their make-or-break game against New Zealand while underlining the importance of keeping the team balanced. Former Netherlands cricketer ten Doeschate reiterated the necessity of balancing players' workloads without disrupting their rhythm for the knockout phase.
"New Zealand have four spinners, so it may be a spin contest. We weren't anticipating such excessive dependence on spin when we entered the tournament, but our bowlers have fitted in well, and the pitch has done its job. It will probably be the same for the next game," Doeschate said.
He also elaborated that training sessions of India have been rigorous, with a specific aim to keep key players fit for the semi-final on March 4. Yet, he added that while workload management is concerned, the team is also intent on beating New Zealand.
"We've had two hard training sessions as part of our preparation. The focus is to keep our best players fit and available for the semi-final, but we don't want to rest them too much either. We might share the bowling load a bit, but we definitely want to beat New Zealand," he added.
Giving an update on Indian captain Rohit Sharma's fitness following an injury scare during the match against Pakistan, Doeschate assured that Rohit is okay and has experience coping with such injuries.
"He's alright. You can see he's batting a little differently, but it's an injury he's had before. He knows how to play around it well," he said.
Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul also addressed the pre-match press conference, providing an indication of the fitness condition of the team as a whole.
"From what I understand, all looks fairly alright. There are no extreme worries regarding anyone not playing games. We will be in better stead after training today," Rahul said.
With six days of break behind them and just one rest day before the semi-finals, Rahul underlined the need to keep all the players in game-sharp condition.
"We'd like everyone to play some game and remain in touch. But that's my opinion; we may do something different tomorrow," he said.
With India looking to keep the momentum going as they enter the knockouts, the next match against New Zealand will be vital in deciding their strategy for the later stages of the tournament.
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