India cricket team captain Rohit Sharma backed his batting unit to bounce back strongly following the series defeat to Sri Lanka in IND vs SL ODI series. The Indian batters struggled to face the spinners in all the matches as the hosts wreaked havoc on the batting order. The Hitman stated that it was important to stay calm and give the batters confidence while also admitting that the unit should have better plans in the future.
Rohit Sharma’s warning to the batters
Reflecting on the series loss, Rohit Sharma opined that the team was not brave throughout the series in terms of taking on the spinners on challenging conditions. He admitted that while each player has been individually spoken to about their role, it was essential to go into a game with such turning conditions with a gameplan. However, he said that it didn’t mean that all balls were to be defended, justifying his ‘brave’ remark.
“Playing spin against slow bowlers on slow pitches shouldn’t be the excuse for us,” he said. “We all play on these kinds of pitches. It is about having game plans and being clear with your plans. It comes down to individual plans. Everyone needs to understand that this is my plan and this is how I am going to play.”
Did team selection let India down?
Rohit Sharma stressed on the importance of consistency in team selection while playing on challenging pitches. The Indian skipper revealed that they wanted to try out a few players, adding that it wasn’t going to be easy for a player to handle such situations if they were given only one or two opportunities.
“When you’re playing on such challenging pitches, it is also important to have consistency in your team selection. If you give players only one or two opportunities, it isn’t easy for them to manage such situations. We tried. We even wanted to try out a few players. It has been a poor series for us, we accept it,” Rohit Sharma said.
Where did India lose the plot?
Rohit Sharma credited Sri Lanka for playing sweeps, reverse sweeps and paddle shots and noted that this was the difference between the two sides in the series. The Indian skipper admitted that the Men in Blue diid not play these shots and were reluctant to use their feet.
“That is something we failed to do as a batting unit. We didn’t play enough sweeps, reverse sweeps or paddle and use our feet too much. That was the difference,” Rohit Sharma said.
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