Dravid explains rationale behind replacing Pandya with Krishna in WC squad

KOLKATA: As a rampant Team India were dealt a big blow with Hardik Pandya ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing ODI World Cup with a ligament tear in his right ankle, head coach Rahul Dravid on Saturday explained the rationale behind replacing the talismanic all-rounder with promising but inexperienced tearaway quick Prasidh Krishna.

Pandya limped off the field after injuring his ankle while trying to make a save off his own bowling in India's win over Bangladesh. He was taken for scans and missed out on the next few matches for the country.

Krishna was added to the India squad after his name was approved by the tournament's Event Technical Committee as a replacement for the injured all-rounder.

Weighing in on Hardik's absence and his replacement for the quadrennial showpiece at a press conference ahead of India's mouth-watering clash against high-flying South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunda, coach Dravid said the thinking behind picking Prasidh was to further shore up India's fast bowling resources as the squad has enough slower operators to call upon.

"Think it's a pretty obvious thought process. After Hardik has been injured, which he has been for the last two or three games, and then obviously didn't play a couple of the games in the Australia series as well. We have played with a combination which has been three fast bowlers and two spinners. And yeah, in our reserves, in the guys sitting outside in the 15, we had a backup for the spin. We had a backup for the spin, we had a backup for the batting, and we had a backup in the bowling all around the category," Dravid said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday.

"So, we did recognize that if this is a combination we're going to take, and if there is an issue of an illness, or a small niggle, or an injury, then we need to have a backup for that. It also allows us to play other combinations. It doesn't mean that we can't play other combinations. But if this is the one combination that which we have gone with recently, then yeah, that is the one area which we possibly hadn't backed up with the injury to Hardik Pandya," the head coach added.

The 28-year-old Krishna has featured in 17 ODIs for India so far, scalping 29 wickets at an economy of 5.60. His best bowling effort, till date, in the 50-over format is 4/12 against West Indies in the home series last year.

In his last appearance for India, against Australia in a bilateral ODI series just ahead of the World Cup, Prasidh picked up the prized wicket of David Warner at the expense of 45 off 9 overs.

Krishna will be available for selection for Sunday's mouth-watering World Cup clash against fellow tournament pacesetters South Africa. However, he will be competing for selection with the pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj, which has been going great guns for the hosts in the last few matches.