Shastri indicates to play around World Cup probables in the remaining 13 games before 2019 World Cup
India coach Ravi Shastri on Thursday said that there won't be any more "chopping and changing" with the ODI side with just 13 matches remaining before the opening World Cup game against South Africa on June 5.
Shastri indicated that from now on, they will be playing around those 15 players, who are going to board the UK bound flight.
"We will try to play (those) 15, who will go to the World Cup. Chopping and changing is over now. The grace period is over now," Shastri made it clear during the pre-departure press conference ahead of the Australian tour.
"Now it is the time to really get focussed and play as a unit and then hopefully not have too many injuries, so that we don't have to look elsewhere and take it from there.
"We don't have too many games now. We have 13 games, so we will look to play the best team at all times," he added.
The 13 games include three-match away series against Australia followed by five-match series against New Zealand and then a return five-match series against Australia at home early next year.
India will play a four-match Test series beginning on December 6 at Adelaide and Shastri said that the visitors will have to learn from their experience in South Africa and England to challenge Australia.
"I see a lot of progress across all formats and I say that inspite of the (series) scoreline in England. When you look at actual performances in conditions that are foreign to us, we are more than happy," he said.
The coach is hopeful that players have learnt from their mistakes of previous tours.
"It is a learning process. If we learn from the mistakes that we made in South Africa and England, it will hold us in good stead in Australia.
"Test cricket obviously is different, it is the last series that we play before the World Cup. So the focus will be entirely on the series."
‘all department must fire’
Indian captain Virat Kohli on Thursday staunchly supported Ravi Shastri, saying the growing perception of head coach being a "yes" man to the skipper "is the most bizarre thing he has ever heard".
"That is the most bizarre thing I have heard. In Indian cricket, I don't think there is anyone else who has said no to me more than him honestly. He is one guy I can speak to and can get an honest opinion. I have made more changes to my game listening to him than anyone else in the past," said Kohli before the team's departure.
The 30-year-old spoke on a range of issues facing the team ahead of the squad's departure to Australia where it will play three T20s, four Tests and three ODIs starting November 21.
Kohli went on to say that not only him, other players have also learnt immensely from Shastri.
"His contribution ever since we started building this team is making people believe that they belong there. We all went through a tough time in 2014 (the England tour) and for me to able to come out of that, and Shikhar (Dhawan) in the 2015 World Cup, he can vouch for that. He (Ravi bhai) knows how to get the best out of the players," said Kohli.
Batting let the team down in South Africa and England, leading to a back-to-back series defeats. With Australia without the suspended Steve Smith and David Warner, India have a good chance of recording a maiden series win in Australia. But Kohli is not looking too far ahead.
"There is a lot of room for improvement. That is something we realise as a team also. We understand what we need to work on so it is up to the individuals to take ownership of that," said Kohli, referring to the batting especially.
"There were lot of things we discussed after England, on what went wrong. We felt there was not a lot that we did wrong but whatever was not right went extreme. We played good cricket but the mistakes were also very extreme.
On the contrary, the bowlers did well in the last two away tours but Kohli said all departments must fire in unison to achieve a series win.
"From the last time we went there (to Australia), fitness levels of the bowlers are surely up, which is the most important factor in Australia. The pitches can get boring at times, the Kookaburra doesn't do much. So, it is about maintaining the pace with which you start your day."