In the second Test against England, India's skipper Rohit Sharma expressed pride in his young and relatively inexperienced squad, which included eight players with a combined Test experience of only 68 matches, with five of them having match counts in single digits. Despite lacking the seasoned trio of Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and KL Rahul, the youthful Indian team secured an impressive 106-run victory.
Rohit commended the performance of the young players, particularly highlighting the achievements of double centurion Yashasvi and second innings centurion Shubman Gill. Recognizing that less experienced players are prone to mistakes, Rohit urged experts to be understanding and allow the youngsters to play without undue pressure.
"It’ll take some time to be absolutely spot on. (I) want them to play freely without any pressure," said Rohit during the post-match presentation. He acknowledged the challenge posed by England and emphasized that the series won't be an easy one, with three more Tests to go.
Praising pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who claimed nine wickets in the match, Rohit reiterated that Bumrah is a champion player for the team. However, he stressed the importance of looking at the overall team performance, highlighting the team's batting strength and the bowlers stepping up to secure the victory.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 86 in the first Test and a double century in the second, was lauded by Rohit as a promising player who understands his game well. Despite his impressive performances, Rohit urged Jaiswal to remain humble and emphasized that there is a long way to go for the young talent.
Reflecting on the match, Rohit acknowledged that the pitch was conducive to batting, and although many batters got starts without converting them into big scores, he emphasized the importance of giving confidence to the young and relatively new players in the team.
(With Agency Inputs)
