TimesofIndia.com in Chennai: India may have already sealed the ODI series against Afghanistan, but the final game in Chennai is far from over. For the team management, it’s another opportunity to tick the boxes on the road to the 2027 ODI World Cup, test combinations and, most importantly, ensure that every player in the squad gets a meaningful opportunity.One of those players is the first batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal.The left-armer suffered a disappointing outing in the previous ODI, but India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate made it clear that one failure will not cost him his place. Jaiswal is ready for another chance, a reflection of the management’s commitment to giving fringe players a proper run, rather than condemning them for one innings.“We also want another look at Yashasvi Jaiswal. He didn’t get any runs in the last game, so he will get another chance,” ten Doeschate said ahead of the third ODI.The message from the Indian camp was consistent. Winning remains the first priority, but so does building depth. That balancing act is evident in the likely changes for Friday’s game.Almost a shot putter Arshdeep Singhwho impressed in the first two matches, is likely to be rested as part of workload management. The batting order will also change, with the top three remaining the same. Between Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer one will be missing as both are all-rounders Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy should feature in the playing XI. “We’ll make a few changes from the first two games. Part of the brief coming into the series was that we wanted to try a few different combinations and give everyone a fair share of games. Someone like Arshdeep bowled really well in the first two games; he can probably rest tomorrow, and the same goes for one of the batsmen. We’ll replace them and come back to play a slightly different side,” he added. This flexibility has become one of India’s greatest strengths in white-ball cricket. Several batsmen are capable of occupying multiple positions, allowing management to experiment without significantly weakening the side. The same philosophy extends to the all-rounders, where Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube are being assessed for different roles.According to Ten Doeschate, Nitish remains an important long-term investment.“Nitish has shown in the last 18 months how important he can become to this team. His body is getting stronger and we see him as a natural backup to Hardik.”Yet the spotlight remains firmly on Jaiswal.Few players in Indian cricket have had to deal with such fierce competition for a place at the top of the order. WITH Shubman Gill, Rohit SharmaVirat Kohli, opportunities are limited for the southpaw. Ten Doeschate acknowledged the challenge of managing a team that is loaded with batting talent.“In a series like this one against Afghanistan, you might say we can take our foot off the pedal a bit, but yes, we want to watch guys like Jaiswal. “He’s someone who’s been waiting in the wings because of the quality and depth we have at that position. But I certainly feel like the first priority is always to win the series and knock out your best team. “One of the tasks in this series was to make sure the team rotates and everyone plays. So Jaiswal gets a few chances and that’s incredibly difficult because he has so much quality. But he’s one of those guys who, when he gets the odd chance, he has to score runs.”This perhaps sums up the Indian selection philosophy better than anything else. There is patience, but there is also great competition. Players will be given opportunities, but they will also be expected to take advantage of them quickly. For Jaiswal, Chennai represents another audition. For India, it is another step towards identifying the combinations that could shape their campaign over the next 18 months.
