India is gearing up to take on Australia in four Tests for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy next month. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma asserted that although it would be a tiresome challenge, his side is up for it.
India captain Rohit Sharma on Tuesday admitted that the upcoming big-ticket Test series against Australia wouldn't be easy but said the hosts are "up for the challenge" against the world number one side. After upstaging Sri Lanka 3-0 in the preceding One-Day International (ODI) series, India continued their fine form. It blanked New Zealand by the same margin following a 90-run win in Tuesday's third and final match at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
"Honestly, we don't talk too much about rankings. It's about winning games, and it won't be different when we play the Tests against Australia. It won't be easy, but we're up for it. In the last six games, we've done most things right in ODIs. We're consistent in our approach with the bat and ball," Rohit said at the presentation ceremony.
India rested the pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami for the match and replaced them with Yuzvendra Chahal and Umran Malik. Rohit said despite putting up 385/9 on the board, it needed to be safer on the batting-friendly Holkar Cricket Stadium. New Zealand finished on 295 in 41.2 overs.
"Without Siraj and Shami, we wanted to give opportunities to other guys on the bench. We wanted to bring Chahal and Umran into the mix and put them under pressure. We had runs on the board, but on this kind of ground, no total is safe," he said. Rohit praised pacer Shardul Thakur, India's best bowler on the day, registering figures of 3/45 from six overs.
"We stuck to the plans and held our nerves. Shardul has been doing this for a while, so some call him 'Magician'. Every time I've given Kuldeep the ball, he brings wickets. Give him more games under his belt because wrist spinners get better as they play more," attested Rohit.
The India skipper also appreciated young Shubman Gill, who amassed 360 runs in three matches, including two centuries. "His [Gill's] approach is quite similar. He starts afresh. As a young player, that is important. He can easily sit on top of his laurels and take it easy, but he doesn't," Rohit recalled.
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In the match, Rohit also broke his three-year hiatus for a century in ODIs by scoring 101 off 85 balls. "20th century means a lot to me. It was important to play along and take the team to a good total," he said.
New Zealand captain Tom Latham noted that even though they were blanked in the series, the three matches have been a great learning experience for the squad's young players. "The start with the ball wasn't great, and we did well to bring them back to 380. It doesn't sound right, but it is, and then to be bowled out in 40 overs didn't go right for us," Latham said.
"It's our last experience in India before the World Cup, so the guys are exposed to these conditions in the three games, and hopefully, it'll be helpful in October. We're building depth in this group without [Tim] Southee and others. Fingers crossed about my form for the World Cup. We can take the learnings for the T20 series," concluded Latham.
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Thakur was adjudged Player of the Match for his fine spell, and the right-arm pacer said he is always ready to contribute to the team's success. "I'm well-liked by them, and even I like my teammates. At some point, they will come after you, and it's essential to stay in the moment and not get ahead of yourselves," he stated.
"I ask myself what needs to be done and do it the next time. I don't overthink because we must be ready for all situations, whether with the bat or ball. Everyone enjoys batting, and the modern-day game is all about batting," added Thakur. Player of the Series, Gill said he was satisfied with his performance as he didn't change his approach to his game.
"Feels nice when you perform well. It's satisfying. I've kept my approach the same. I look to convert those starts into big ones to express myself. I play according to the situation and conditions, not looking at my score. Our bowlers did a good job and bowled well on this wicket because it looked like it could go either way at one point," Gill affirmed.
(With inputs from PTI)