Though his team suffered a six-run defeat to Bangladesh in the final Super 4 game of the Asia Cup in Colombo on Friday, India skipper Rohit Sharma said he wanted to "look at the bigger picture" while making five changes in the playing XI. (More Cricket News)
India handed middle-order batter Tilak Varma a one-day international (ODI) debut and also drafted in seamers Mohammed Shami, Prasidh Krishna, all-rounder Shardul Thakur and middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav for the dead rubber, as team mainstays Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav were rested.
In the overall context, the match was inconsequential as India had already qualified for the final on Sunday, the likes of debutant Varma and middle-order reserve batter Suryakumar Yadav did not give a good account of themselves.
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Rohit, however, said after the match: "We wanted to give some game time to the guys, keeping the bigger picture in mind. Not compromising on how we wanted to play this game. We wanted to get in some players who are likely to play the World Cup."
The captain was all praise for southpaw Axar Patel, who took the game really deep with his well-made 42.
"Axar batted brilliantly, but couldn't finish the job. He showed a lot of character. But credit to the Bangladesh bowlers."
Rohit, who has always been effusive in his praise for Shubman Gill, once again lauded the century by the young opener.
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"Gill's hundred was brilliant. He backs his game, he knows exactly how he wants to play. Pretty clear on what he wants to do for the team. Look at his form over the last year (average of 72). He has been pretty solid against the new ball. He works really hard," Rohit said.
