AUSTRALIA TOUR IN INDIA, 2020-21
Rohit Sharma, who has been in quarantine in Sydney, is ready to join the team and could return directly to the starting eleven © AFP
India’s head coach Ravi Shastri was ecstatic after his team’s eighth win in Melbourne. Coming from the back of India being eliminated by his lowest test total of 36 in Adelaide, Shastri scored the comeback very well.
“This will go down in the annals of Indian cricket … world cricket … as one of the great comebacks in the history of the game. To go 36 and three days later, get up and be ready to hit. It was outstanding. I think that the guys deserve all the credit for the character they have shown. Real character, “Shastri said on Tuesday (December 29).
He also highlighted Captain Ajinkya Rahane’s 112 in the early innings to receive special praise for the impact he had on the game.
“I think it [turning point] were Ajinkya Rahane’s tickets. Discipline on such a big stage in a massive arena. To come as captain of your team, hit No. 4; when he came out to hit we were two down for 60 and then hitting 6 hours on probably the hardest day to hit. Because it was cloudy all day, the sun never came out and he hit for 6 hours. Incredible concentration. I thought that was the turning point, his entries were the turning point, ”he declared.
Rahane also received more praise from the coach for his leadership skills. Not believing in theories that he is a “bowling captain”: “I don’t know, I hear it for the first time. What is a bowling captain? There is no such definition for that,” Shastri noted. to which made Rahane fit in as leader.
“He’s a very crafty leader, he has a good understanding of the game, he’s a good reader of the game. And I think his calm composure in the middle also helped the debutants, he helped the bowlers as well. A reassuring influence there. And despite losing Umesh, he did a great job, “reasoned Shastri.
In addition to Rahane, two of India’s rookies, Shubman Gill and Mohammad Siraj, also walked away with notable contributions in the victory. And Shastri credited the Indian Premier League for the confidence with which the players came. “The fact that they share a dressing room with international players, rub shoulders with the best, the complex factor disappears very quickly. And you see what you see now,” Shastri said.
Given the success of the five-pin strategy, Shastri confirmed that India will also go with a similar combination for the next round. Thanks to the balance that Ravindra Jadeja provided.
“He is [Jadeja] a true all-rounder. That’s why he hits where he does. He can hit at 6, he can hit at 5 on a certain occasion. It is a true all-rounder.
“And it gives a lot of balance on the side. Also, when you play abroad, there is always the possibility of one of the players getting injured, as you saw with Umesh. So with Jadeja it gives a better balance and also gives fast players a I breathe with Jaddu and Ash bowling, “Shastri said.
Though decisive in his thoughts on the five-pin strategy, Shastri preferred to wait and watch the Rohit Sharma issue. Sharma, who has been quarantined in Sydney, is ready to join the team and could go straight back to eleven. Shastri felt they needed to chat with Sharma before taking the call.
“About Rohit: he joins the team tomorrow. So we will chat with him to see where he is physically located because he has been in quarantine for the past two weeks. We also need to see how he feels before taking the call.”
© Cricbuzz
