Some relatively inexperienced young Indian batters are taking on South Africa in challenging conditions, but captain Rohit Sharma believes they should at one point be ready for the task.
“We have to accept what is in front of us, whether it is two Test matches or five Test matches and have to play it,” he said. “About these three guys (Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer), they have been around the team for a number of years. At some stage, they all need to get exposed to conditions like this, bowling like this, they all have to do it. We all have done it.”
Rohit said it was also an opportunity. “I am sure they have learnt a lot from the first game they have played,” he said. “It is challenging, but that is what Test cricket is about.”
He reiterated his backing for Prasidh Krishna, despite the seamer’s struggles on his Test debut. “We all get nervous when you are playing your first game,” he said. “He has got the ability to succeed at this level, especially in this format.”
Looking ahead to the Test, he said he felt the wicket wasn’t too different from the one at Centurion. “Overhead conditions will matter and it is quite hot here,” he said. “We know exactly what is required when conditions are like that. Based on how the pitch is, how the conditions are, we have to respond to that.”
Rohit paid a tribute to South Africa’s stand-in captain Dean Elgar, who is retiring from international cricket. “He has been their mainstay for a number of years now and scored a lot of runs against us,” he said. “He puts a lot of weightage on his wicket. He doesn’t throw it away. You have got to get him out.”
About South Africa sending a vastly inexperienced side to New Zealand on a Test tour, Rohit said a lot of thought should be given to Test cricket. “It is the ultimate challenge you face in this sport,” he said. “You want to see the best cricket being played in Tests.”
