After 24 of 30 wickets were taken by spinners in the Nagpur Test, which India won by an innings and 132 runs, India’s captain Rohit Sharma outlined how to play on turning pitches: utilise your feet, be a little unconventional, attempt to sweep and reverse sweep, and provide pressure to the bowler.
There were spots outside the off stump for left-handed batsmen to assist India’s spinners, as Australia fielded as many as four left-handed batters in the top seven. Rohit’s innings of 120 and his explanation of how he had prepared for such pitches exemplified the way for India’s leading hitters, who similarly struggled against spin.
Rohit stated at the presentation,
“The kind of surfaces we have been playing on in India over the past few years require application, a clear attitude, and some sort of plan for how you want to go about scoring those runs.” “Since I began opening the batting, I have been attempting to determine what can threaten me when I’m batting and figuring out how to score runs. I grew up playing a great deal in Mumbai on surfaces that frequently turn.
I believe it is also important to be unconventional, to utilise your feet, to get to the pitch of the ball, and to exert pressure on the bowler. You can’t let the bowler bowl six balls on the spot; you’ve got to do something different, whether it’s stepping down the ground, sweeping, reverse sweeping, or going over the top.
There are so many things that you can do, and it’s imperative that when you play on pitches like that, you understand what your strengths and weaknesses are, and don’t compare yourself to others. I attempted to determine what I was capable of doing, and I just tried to apply myself in the middle.”
Rohit was thrilled to put his hand up at the beginning of such a high-profile series, given India’s position in the WTC standings, and because he was returning to Tests following injury, having played only two in 2022. With a win percentage of 61.67, India is second on the WTC points table, behind Australia’s 70.83 percent and ahead of Sri Lanka’s 53.33 percent. India must win two of the remaining three games in the series to qualify for the finals.
Rohit stated, “Yes, it was a remarkable hundred, considering a number of factors.” “It was the first game of the series, which was crucial to our standing in the championship standings, so it was crucial for us to get off to a strong start. When playing in a series like this, we know it’s crucial to get off to a good start, so I was glad to be able to contribute to the team’s success.
Rohit was appointed India’s full-time Test captain in February of last year, but he has featured in only two of India’s five Tests since then due to a thumb injury. He missed the Birmingham Test in England in July and the two Tests in Bangladesh in December. Before landing in Nagpur, Rohit had missed eight of India’s last ten Test matches.
“It was sad that I had to miss a few Test matches due to injury, but I’m glad to be back and contributing to the team’s success,” he remarked. “Yes, since my appointment as Test captain, I have played only two Test matches; I contracted COVID in England, missed three Test matches in South Africa due to injuries, and then had a fluke injury to my thumb in Bangladesh.
” All of those things are possible when you play for a long time, but I’ve had a lot of injuries in the past, so I know how to recover from them, and I was similarly prepared for this one. Like I mentioned, we wanted to get off to a good start, and I’m glad we were able to do so.”
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