PTI, Adelaide
“If you want to win in Australia, you have no choice but to score big. However, as batsmen, we fell short. Also, the bowlers need to take more responsibility. No matter how much Jasprit Bumrah bowls, he cannot do it alone. He needs the support of other bowlers,” said Indian captain Rohit Sharma after the defeat in the second Test against Australia.
Australia defeated India by 10 wickets in the day-night Test at Adelaide. The Indian batsmen performed poorly in the two-and-a-half-day Test, failing to cross the 200-run mark in either innings.
“When you play in Australia, if you want to win a Test match, you need to score big. We knew it would be challenging to score runs against the pink ball. However, we could have batted better. We have done that before. If we had scored 30-40 runs more, especially in the first innings, it would have made a big difference,” said Rohit.
He also expressed his displeasure over the bowlers’ performance. In the Adelaide Test, Bumrah (4/61) made a fine impression, but the Australian batsmen were able to score runs easily from the other end. “Bumrah has been performing consistently well. However, we cannot rely on just one bowler. Other bowlers need to take responsibility and contribute to the team. Whoever gets a chance among Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Nitish Reddy, Akash Deep, and Prasidh Krishna, they need to play their part,” Rohit gave a clear message to the bowlers.
With the exception of Bumrah and Siraj, the fast bowlers in the Indian team do not have much experience in Test cricket. Therefore, Rohit also knows that it would not be right to put too much pressure on them. “Most of our fast bowlers are newcomers. We plan a lot and constantly discuss with them. However, they need to learn from their mistakes. Bumrah cannot bowl from both ends from morning to evening. He needs the support of other bowlers. We want Bumrah to play all five Tests. However, for that, the pressure on him will have to be reduced,” said Rohit.
Caution Regarding Shami
- Rohit said that although the doors of the Indian team are open for fast bowler Mohammed Shami, special precautions are being taken regarding him as he has just returned from injury.
- “Shami’s knee got swollen again while playing in the Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament. That delayed his comeback. We don’t want to take any risks. We don’t want to create a situation where he gets injured again during the Tests after being included in the team. He needs to be 100 percent fit,” Rohit explained.
- Shami injured his ankle in the final of last year’s ODI World Cup. He was out of action for a year after that. He recently made a comeback, bowling 42 overs in a Ranji match, and played seven matches in 13 days in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Therefore, Shami’s fitness certificate from the National Cricket Academy medical team was considered a mere formality.
