Team India skipper Rohit Sharma lauded Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana for their impressive performances in the first Test match against Australia. Rohit Sharma also spoke about young players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill ahead of the 2nd Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test match.
Harshit and Nitish made their Test debuts in the series opener in Perth. Reddy scored 41 runs in the first innings when India was bowled out for 150. He later added an unbeaten 38 off 27 balls in the second innings. Meanwhile, Rana took three wickets for 48 runs in the first innings and one in the second.
Didn’t Feel Like It Was Their First Game – Rohit Sharma
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Rohit Sharma was impressed with Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s performances. Rohit said that it didn’t feel like it was their first game. He emphasized that these players are exactly what India needs to win major series.
“Didn’t feel like it was their first game (in Perth). Their body language looked superb. These are the guys you want when you want to win a big series,” Rohit told reporters.
The Indian skipper missed the first Test match due to personal reasons. He didn’t travel with his teammates to Perth and stayed with his family during the birth of his second child. The right-handed batter rejoined the squad during the first Test, where the Men in Blue secured an emphatic 295-run victory.
Rohit Sharma on Nitish Reddy & Harshit Rana
“Didn’t feel like it was their first game (in Perth). Their body language looked superb. These are the guys you want when you want to win a big series.”
— News18 CricketNext (@cricketnext) December 5, 2024
These Guys Only Think About Winning Matches – Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma stated that younger players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill have a winning mindset. He highlighted how their focus is on securing victories, unlike earlier generations who were more concerned about scoring runs.
“Jaiswal, Pant, Gill are players of a different generation. When we came to Australia for the 1st time, we used to think about how to score. These guys only think about winning matches. Their primary focus is winning match,” Rohit further stated.
Always Difficult to Leave Ashwin and Jadeja Out – Rohit Sharma
The 37-year-old batter admitted that leaving out Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for the Perth Test was a tough decision. However, he expressed confidence that both players would play a crucial role in the remainder of the series against Australia.
“Always difficult to leave them out. I certainly see them playing a huge role in the rest of the series. They’re quality players,” Rohit added.
Ravichandran Ashwin was excluded from the playing XI despite being the seventh leading wicket-taker in Test history. Tamil Nadu off-spinner Washington Sundar was included in the playing XI. However, India’s decision did not affect their performance, as they secured a dominant win in the series opener.
The second Test between India and Australia is set to begin on Friday, December 6, at the Adelaide Oval. India currently leads the ongoing five-match Test series with a 1-0 margin.
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