India to blood rookies in Australia, says skipper Dhoni

REUTERS – India will test out several uncapped players in the limited- overs series in Australia, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Monday.

Injuries to fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma have taken sting out of the Indian attack and they will be without Suresh Raina’s all-round energy after the limited-overs specialist was dropped from the side.

India are likely to blood Barinder Sran, Gurkeerat Singh and Rishi Dhawan in the series and Dhoni acknowledged he will have to be patient with the uncapped trio.

“As far as newcomers are concerned, we’d definitely feature them in the tournament because we want to see where they stand,” Dhoni said ahead of the first match of the five-game series against the world champions on Tuesday.

The 2011 World Cup-winning captain, who quit tests in late 2014, believes the supply of talented young players who can immediately adapt to international cricket is at an end.

“Right from the late 1980s, we got cricketers who were ready to play international cricket,” Dhoni said. “Once they made their debut, they were there for 10-15 years. I think that trend is changing slowly.”

India will feel Shami’s absence most, the 25-year-old returning from a lengthy injury layoff only to land in Australia and be ruled out for the series with a hamstring injury.

“Shami has been very good for us. If you see (last year’s) World Cup also, he was someone who bowled really well for us, someone who can bowl with the new ball, in the middle over and also at the death,” Dhoni said.

India play five one-dayers and three Twenty20 Internationals on their tour of Australia.

(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)