• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Were Keeping In Mind Rahul Dravid Explains Why Kohli Gill Sky Rohit Bowled Vs Ned

'Were Keeping In Mind...' Rahul Dravid Explains Why Kohli, Gill, SKY, & Rohit Bowled Vs NED

image-lovzn6qgRahul Dravid having a chat with Shubman Gill during a World Cup 2023 training session (x.com)

Team India routed the Netherlands by 160 runs to cap their unbeaten World Cup 2023 league stage run. After amassing 410-4 upfront off the back of centuries from Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, Indian bowlers restricted the Dutchmen to just 250 later in the evening in Bengaluru.

Head coach Rahul Dravid hailed India’s emphatic win over the Netherlands, and acknowledged his side’s sheer consistency throughout the tournament. The former cricketer also praised India’s all-firing middle order for contributing to team wins by adjusting to different conditions and match situations.

Rahul Dravid heaps praise on Indian middle-order

Indian head coach Rahul Dravid said that the match against the Netherlands was exactly what the ‘Men in Blue’ wanted before heading out for the World Cup 2023 semi-finals. The cricketer praised Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli for packing half-centuries at the top, and commended KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer for registering their respective hundreds later in the Indian innings.


Dravid went ahead and added that the Indian middle-order is yet to put a foot wrong in this tournament, as they have been consistently scoring runs despite coming into bat in difficult match situations and different playing conditions every time. Speaking after India’s 160-run win over the Netherlands, the cricketer-turned-coach said:

“For us, obviously, it was nice to get a game before the semi-finals. I thought we got what we needed. Five batters getting starts and a couple of them going on and scoring hundreds. Our middle order has been fantastic. The top order is one that gets to bat all the time but the middle order has been batting fantastically. Every single game, they have been scoring runs. The wicket is getting slower or sometimes they come into bat after 30 overs but they have adjusted really well and contributed.”

Dravid also explained the reason behind captain Rohit Sharma’s extensive experimentation with part-time spinners in the backend of the Netherlands innings. Skipper Sharma employed himself, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and even Suryakumar Yadav to have a crack at Netherlands with the ball, at a time when the game was pretty much in India’s pocket.

Coach Dravid claimed that the team management has been actively on the lookout for a possible sixth bowling option, which has been a concern for the team ever since Hardik Pandya’s injury. He added:

“We were keeping in mind the six bowling options. Hardik solved that problem but once we lost him, there were a few questions but the other five bowlers have really stepped up. I’m also confident that our bowlers can contribute with the bat and we are really confident heading into the semi-finals.”

Team India will now face New Zealand in the first semi-final, set to be hosted by the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The much-awaited contest will be played out on November 15.