"At this rate, they will be rested for the World Cup as well" - Fans fume after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are absent for the 3rd ODI

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma and ace batter Virat Kohli find themselves out of the playing XI once again for the third ODI against the West Indies at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad. All-rounder Hardik Pandya once again leads the team as the stand-in skipper in the series decider on Tuesday (August 1).

The absence of the two senior players in the second ODI was a surprising revelation for the majority of fans and pundits. With the Men in Blue having suffered a six-wicket defeat in the contest, many expected the duo to walk back into the playing XI, considering that the series is on the line.

Hardik Pandya named two changes at the toss, bringing Ruturaj Gaikwad and Jaydev Unadkat into the playing XI at the expense of Umran Malik and Axar Patel. He said:

"Two changes for us. Ruturaj comes in place of Umran and Unadkat comes in place of Axar. Going to the decider the boys are pumped up and looking forward to the game. Looks good (the surface), I don't think much will change, batting first gives a good opportunity for us to set a good total."

West Indies skipper Shai Hope won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Men in Maroon are on the lookout to record their first ODI bilateral series win over India for the first time since 2006.

Fans were far from pleased with the continued 'experimentation' approach despite the poor performance in the second ODI and the subsequent backlash. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter following Kohli and Sharma's absence in the series final:

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli likely to be seen next at the 2023 Asia Cup

Even in the solitary ODI that the duo played during the tour, their involvement was negligible. Virat Kohli made his presence in the field with a sharp catch at second slip to dismiss Romario Shepherd but did not take the chance to bat in the revamped batting order. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, came into bat at No. 7 and scored an unbeaten 12.

Kohli and Sharma are not part of the T20I setup and are likely to next be in action during the 2023 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. The tournament will begin on August 30, with India scheduled to play their first match on September 2 against arch-rivals Pakistan. The team could play a total of six ODIs if they qualify for the finals.

The Men in Blue are also slated to play a three-match ODI series against Australia at home right before the ODI World Cup.

Are India progressing in the right direction in the build-up to the 2023 ODI World Cup? Let us know what you think.