
On January 11 (Wednesday), Rahul Dravid celebrated his 50th birthday ahead of India's second and penultimate ODI versus Sri Lanka. After winning the series opener by 67 runs, in Guwahati, Indian players reached Kolkata -- venue for the second ODI -- and celebrated head coach Dravid's birthday in the team hotel. On Thursday (January 12), Rohit Sharma-led India gave a perfect gift to Dravid by beating the Lankans by four wickets, in pursuit of 216, but there is sad news from the Indian camp.
As per reports,coachDravid is reportedly unwell and hasn't travelled with the team to Thiruvananthapuram for the third and final ODI. According to India.com, he left for his hometownBengaluru after he felt uneasy in the hotelas his BP shot up. While the former Indian captain stayed through the match at Kolkata, after having medicines, it isn't clear if he will join the Indian team in time for the inconsequential ODI.
Also read:'No, Rishabh, I don't want to...': R Sridhar narrates unheard story about MS Dhoni's retirement
No official update regarding Dravid's health has been shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Indian fans will hope that the 50-year-old recovers in time and joins the team ahead of their upcoming home assignments, against New Zealand and Australia.
Talking about the second and penultimate ODI between India and Sri Lanka, Dasun Shanaka & Co. opted to bat first but only managed 215 in 39.4 overs after being well-placed at 102 for 1. In reply, India was tottering at 86 for 4 before KL Rahul's 64 not out propelled them to a four-wicket win, with 40 balls to spare.
At the post-match presentation, Rohit was asked if India will tinker with their winning combination and give a chance to the benched players. To this, he said, "We haven't thought about it yet, once we get there we'll have a look at the pitch and have a look at some of our guys. There are 3 ODIs coming up against New Zealand as well, so we need to keep the guys fresh. We've got a long season now and we need to keep everything in mind. If needed, we'll make some changes."