INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
In a strong response to former captain Kapil Dev's remarks about the Indian team becoming 'arrogant,' star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja
dismissed the criticism, attributing such comments to India's occasional defeats.Kapil had recently expressed his concern that arrogance
seemed to have seeped into the current Indian team, with players appearing to believe they know everything.Speaking to reporters ahead of
the crucial third ODI against West Indies in Trinidad, Jadeja clarified that the team's sole focus is on winning for India, and they harbor
Their dedication and determination remain directed towards achieving victory and representing the country with pride."Everyone has their own
Ex-players have full right to share their opinion, but I don't think there is any arrogance in this team," Jadeja said."Everyone is enjoying
their cricket and everyone is hard-working
No one has taken anything for granted
They are giving their 100 per cent
Such comments generally come when Indian team loses a match."This is a good bunch of boys, this is a good group
We are representing India and that is our main aim
There is no personal agenda," he added.'Team combination for Asia Cup decided'Jadeja confirmed that the combination for the upcoming Asia
Cup, commencing August 30, has been finalized, even though there were some experimental changes during the ODI series against West Indies.In
the ongoing ODI series, India rested captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the second ODI and the team suffered a six-wicket defeat,
following its five-wicket victory in the first match
Jadeja said the team management has already settled on the squad for the Asia Cup, emphasizing their strategic planning and readiness for
the upcoming tournament."This is the series before the Asia Cup and World Cup, where we can experiment, we can try out new combinations
It will give us an idea about the team's balance, strengths and weaknesses," Jadeja told reporters on eve of the series decider.India's
50-over assignments after the the tour of the Caribbeans include the Asia Cup, followed by a three-match series against Australia and the
all important ODI World Cup in October."Captain and team management know what combination they are going to play
There is no confusion at all
We have already decided what is going to be the combination in the Asia Cup...But it's more about trying out a particular player or batter
at a batting position."In the crucial third match on Tuesday, India are expected to continue giving game-time to their promising young
players.(AI image)About the defeat in the second ODI, Jadeja said, "We were not disheartened by the loss
Our experiments didn't cause the defeat
Sometimes, external factors, like conditions, also play a significant role.""We are trying different combinations
We can try different batters at different positions
This is the series where we can afford to chop and change
Young players also need that international experience, they also need game-time," he said.(With agency inputs)
