Indian captain Rohit Sharma has made it clear that his team was focused on their playing style rather than getting caught up in the hype surrounding England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach to Test cricket.
Rohit added that the Indian team is not giving any special consideration to England’s Bazball style, which has been successful on pitches that offer pace and bounce but remains untested on Indian soil. The Indian skipper also addressed the team composition, specifically the wicketkeeping role.
“We’ll look to play our cricket. I’m not interested in looking at how the opposition is going to play and all of that. For us, we must look into our cricket. Focus on what we need to do as a team and then take it from there,” Rohit told the media ahead of the first Test against England.
RAHUL A SPECIALIST BATTER
KL Rahul, who has kept wickets since returning from injury last year, will be playing as a specialist batter in the upcoming series as the Indian team has opted for a specialist wicketkeeper, with KS Bharat and uncapped Dhruv Jurel being the candidates. The Indian skipper did not reveal who would take the gloves but indicated that the decision would be based on individual performances and what is best for the team.
“Yeah, obviously those are the two keepers [Bharat and Jurel] in the squad. We’ll see and assess the performance. We are obviously looking at the bigger picture. We want to give as many games as possible to the individual. But we’ll assess after every game what happens and what is right for the team. Whatever is right for the team will do the necessary things,” Rohit added.
ASHWIN, SIRAJ CLASS APART
The Indian captain also praised Ravichandran Ashwin’s exceptional bowling skills, acknowledging the spinner’s impressive performances whenever he stepped onto the field. Rohit also commended the local hero in Hyderabad, Mohammed Siraj, recognizing his breakthrough in the past couple of years and his establishment in the Test side.
“Ashwin and Siraj have been important players for us. Siraj has come through the ranks in the last two years, he has taken his game to another level. Ashwin is class, every time he takes the field he impresses all of us,” Rohit further said.
Tune In
