Rohit Sharma was reserved in his praise for young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal but said his scintillating run augurs well for the future of Indian cricket.
Jaiswal scored a brilliant 214 not out to headline India’s record 434-run win against England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, on Sunday. This was India’s biggest win ever by a margin of runs.
“ Yashasvi Jaiswal ke baare mai kuch nahi bolunga, usko khelne do (Won’t say much about Jaiswal. Let him play). Everyone’s talking about him now. He is playing well. He is in good form. It’s good for us (smiles),” Rohit said in a media interaction.
India became the second side to win back-to-back Tests against England during the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes era after Australia won the Birmingham and the Lord’s Ashes in June–July 2023.
Rohit said the way India bounced back after being three down for 33 was commendable.
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“When you play Test cricket, it’s not played over two or three days. We know the importance of staying in the game for five days. They put us under pressure; we’ve got class in our squad when it comes to bowling.
“The message was to stay calm; it’s easy to drift away from what you want to do. I’m proud of how we came back, and when that happens, it’s a delight to watch.
India’s captain Rohit Sharma, left, and teammate Ravindra Jadeja celebrate after India won the third cricket test match against England in Rajkot, India. | Photo Credit: AP
“It was a good toss to win; we know how important it is in India to win (the toss) and get runs on the board. After that onslaught from the England batters, the bowlers showed a lot of character.
We knew the job was half done; in the second innings, we wanted to come out and bat and get the lead we wanted.”
Advantage of Jadeja’s experience
Ravindra Jadeja took five wickets in the fourth innings to go with his century in the first innings, which he scored after being promoted to No. 5. Rohit explained the rationale behind the call.
“For this game, we thought Jadeja had so much experience, he’s scored a lot of runs of late.
“We always wanted that left-right batting, we know the quality Sarfaraz (Khan) brings, and we wanted to give him time before he comes into bat—we saw what he did while batting.
We don’t have any long-term plans with the batting order; we just go with the flow and depending on the bowling composition of the opposition. Jadeja, of course, is the hometown boy, he knows these conditions better than anyone else.”
Jadeja, who took a five-for in the second innings and scored a century in the first, was adjudged the Player of the Match for his performance in Rajkot. | Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji / The Hindu
England batted for a total of 111 overs in the match and was guilty of losing wickets in a flurry in both innings. Rohit said he didn’t expect the match to get over within four days.
“To be honest, I expected the game into the fifth day. It wasn’t so much about the number of runs we scored but the amount of time we could give to our bowlers to get those 10 England wickets. I felt 130 odd overs were enough... But I certainly didn’t expect such an early finish.”
Asked if the Test win in Rajkot is one of the most satisfying victories as captain, Rohit said: “Both wins (Visakhapatnam and Rajkot) are special. Even in Vizag, the game was hanging in balance when they came out to bat in the fourth innings.
“When there isn’t much happening on the pitch, even one partnership can take the game away from you. But, having said that, any Test win, anywhere in the world, is special because you have to work hard for four to five days to come out on top.
“In the context of this series, the Vizag victory was also important because we were 0-1 down.. and in both games, we were able to execute our plans with the bat, ball and on the field.”
Importance of character and Sarfaraz Khan’s debut
Rohit also praised R. Ashwin, who had to leave the Test match midway due to a personal emergency. The offspinner, however, returned to be with the side on Sunday and even bowled a few overs in the fourth innings.
“It is never easy to lose your main bowler, that too, in the middle of a Test match. But family comes first. When we heard the news, there were no second thoughts at all. It was up to Ashwin to do what he felt was right and, he absolutely did the right thing by choosing to be with his family.
“Good on him to return to Rajkot and be part of the team today, (it) shows the kind of character he is. We were happy to have him back,” Rohit said.
Sarfaraz Khan, one of the two debutants in this Test match, hit two fifties and was instrumental in India setting a mammoth total. Rohit is impressed with Sarfaraz’s approach.
India’s Sarfaraz Khan raises his bat after scoring his half-century. It was his second in his debut Test, having scored another in the first innings. | Photo Credit: PTI
“I have not watched Sarfaraz Khan bat a lot. He has scored heavily for Mumbai, in difficult situations, on the domestic circuit for the last four to five years now—not just hundreds but double and triple hundreds. That tells you something about his mindset,” he said.
“He is hungry to score. He is doing something right to be this consistent. Mumbai players tell me it’s best to let Sarfaraz be, and he will do the job for you.
“Even in this Test, he was quite emotional during the cap presentation, but once that was out of the way, he was very focused and wanted to contribute to the team’s success with his batting, fielding, and just his overall energy.”
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