India vs England, 3rd Test: Rohit Sharma attributes record victory to the art of 'staying calm'
By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Feb 18, 2024, 6:48 PM ISTIndia's cricket captain Rohit Sharma attributes the team's historic win in Rajkot to their composure under pressure, emphasising the importance of staying calm, overcoming challenges, and showcasing character in both batting and bowling performances.
India captain Rohit Sharma attributes the record victory in Rajkot to the team's composure under pressure, emphasising the importance of "staying calm" in the face of challenges. Reflecting on the match, Rohit acknowledges the threat posed by Ben Duckett's impressive century and highlights the team's collective effort to maintain focus and execute their game plan. Despite the absence of experienced bowlers, Rohit commends the bowling unit's character, especially on the pivotal third morning.
MOMENT WHEN INDIA REGISTERED THEIR BIGGEST EVER WIN IN TEST CRICKET. 🇮🇳
- Captain Rohit Sharma creates history !!! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/Dse6fZ5pXl
Winning the toss was deemed crucial, and Rohit appreciates the team's ability to capitalise on it by posting a significant first-innings lead. He praises the character displayed by the bowlers, the resilience of the youngsters in the middle order, and Ravindra Jadeja's exceptional all-round performance. Discussing the decision to promote Jadeja to No.5, Rohit emphasises the left-right batting combination and acknowledges Sarfaraz Khan's quality.
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Rohit downplays the long-term significance of the batting order, emphasising the team's adaptive approach based on the specific conditions and opposition. Despite the team's success, Rohit remains composed when discussing young talent like Yashasvi, expressing a desire for the promising player to continue performing at a high level without undue pressure.
"When you're playing Test cricket, it's not played over two days or three days," Rohit said after winning the Rajkot Test, which is now India's biggest Test win by runs. "We do understand the importance of staying in the game for five days. And yeah, I mean, they played well to be honest. [they] played some really good shots, put us under pressure a little bit there. But no, I mean, look, we've got class in our squad when it comes to bowling. So, obviously the message was to stay calm. Because when things like that happen, it is very easy to drift away from what you actually want to do as a team. But, you know, I'm really proud of how we came back the next day, stuck to what we discussed. And when you know those things happen it's a delight to watch."
"Honestly, a lot of turning points obviously," Rohit said. "Once we won the toss, that was actually a good toss to win. Because we know in India, how important it is to win the toss and put runs on the board. And that lead that we got was very very crucial for us you know, and then the way we came out and bowled after that onslaught from the English batters, it was important for us to stay calm. Like I said, the bowlers actually showed a lot of character and not to forget we didn't have our most experienced bowler as well. But for this group to come out and you know, get the job done like that, in that fashion, [I] was really, really proud to watch.
"And then with the bat again, we know that the job was half done; in the second innings we wanted the bat to come out and bat and take the lead as much as possible. Those two youngsters in the middle, you know, got us the lead that we wanted and then obviously Jadeja with the ball was superb."
Rohit Sharma as a Test captain:
Beat SL: 2-0 [H]
Beat AUS: 2-1 [H]
Beat WI: 1-0 [A]
Draw SA: 1-1 [A]
Leading ENG: 2-1*[H]
He is leading by example in the transition phase for India. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/aK8kvhZ1DG
"Now look, I mean especially for this game, we thought he's got so much experience playing this format. He's scored a lot of runs as well, you know, in the last couple of years. And yeah, we always wanted that left-right, batting as well." Rohit said.
"And Sarfaraz being Sarfaraz, we know the quality that he brings. We wanted him to just have some time, you know, before he gets into bat, and we saw what he did with the bat. By no means with any long term plan here with the batting order, we just go by the flow, what we feel on that particular day, or in that particular Test match what is right for us, depending on the composition of the opposition as well as the bowling composition. We try to calculate everything and then we go with the flow."
"I've spoken a lot about him in Vizag as well. And I'm sure people outside the changing room have been speaking a lot about him as well. So I want to keep calm about him. I don't want to talk too much about him because he's just started his career on a high, so I just want him to continue to do that. And yeah, looks a good player, no doubt."
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