Following the team’s victory over England in the Ranchi Test, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma made an important statement, stating that only players who are driven to compete in the red-ball format will be given chances.
He said that, as of right now, all the players appear to possess the necessary attributes, and that it is simple to distinguish between cricketers who have the desire and passion for Test cricket and those who do not.
Ishan Kishan withdrew from the most recent Test series in South Africa, citing personal concerns, despite Rohit not naming any players. Since the 2018 tour of England, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has also not participated in red-ball cricket matches for India.
“We will give opportunity only to players who have that hunger”- Rohit Sharma
Mumbai middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan and Uttar Pradesh keeper-batter Dhruv Jurel have both contributed significantly to the current Test series against England.
Praise for the young players’ performance in the series victory over England aside, Rohit Sharma emphasized how crucial it is to play the conventional format with the correct mindset. Rohit Sharma said at the post-match press conference.
“This (Test cricket) is the toughest format. And if you want success and want to excel in this tough format then you need that hunger. It is very important. We will give opportunity only to players who have that hunger. You come to know the players who don’t have that hunger or players who don’t want to stay here,”
“Players who have that hunger, players who want to stay here and perform, play in tough conditions; we will give preference to them. Obviously, it is pretty simple: if you don’t have hunger, there’s no meaning playing such players,” he added.
“If you don’t utilize that opportunity, then you lose that chance”- Rohit Sharma
Although Rohit Sharma stated that there doesn’t seem to be a problem with passion and dedication among the current group, he made it clear that performers will be given preference.
“At present I don’t see anyone who doesn’t have that hunger: those who are here in the squad and even those who are not here – every one of them wants to play. But the opportunities at this level come very few times.”
“If you don’t utilise that opportunity, then you lose that chance. We all have experienced that. So those players who utilise the opportunities, who make the team win, who perform for the team, obviously that is noted. That is very important,” he further added.
In his first Test match in Rajkot, Sarfaraz hit half-centuries in both innings, but Jurel’s 90 and 39* in Ranchi won him Player of the Match honors.
“This is a format that involves hard work”- Rohit Sharma on the importance of the test cricket
There have been increasing worries regarding certain players’ lack of interest in red-ball cricket since the Indian Premier League’s phenomenal success.
The BCCI even threatened centrally contracted players with dire penalties for neglecting domestic red-ball cricket in a recent directive. Rohit expressed his opinions on the topic between red-ball and IPL cricket.
“IPL is for us no doubt a good format, but Test cricket is the most difficult format: to achieve success and perform here is not so easy.”
Rohit Sharma continued by praising youngsters for working hard in domestic cricket and converting that experience into important Test performances.
“We have seen in these four Tests we have played, the three wins we got were not easy. We had to work hard, batsmen had to spend ample time in the middle, bowlers had to deliver longer spells. So this is a format that involves hard work,” Rohit said.
“All the hard work that they have done in the past, in the growing-up years, coming through the whole circuit of playing domestic cricket, playing the local club cricket and performing there, and then coming here… Obviously it’s a big challenge to play Test cricket. We all know that. But these guys, when I look at them, when I talk to them, the responses that I get from them is quite encouraging,” he added, while concluding his thoughts on the team’s young guns.
India mounted a valiant fightback to win the next three Tests and extend their unbeaten home record to 17 series after losing the opening Test in Hyderabad by a margin of 28 runs.