The new-gen players in the Indian team made headlines with their impressive outings against England earlier this year. And, Rohit Sharma lauded Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan for their hunger for runs and he called it a ‘good sign’ for Indian cricket as well. He also said that the youngsters have the skills and mindset to play across the formats for India as well.
“Honestly, you don’t need to speak too much to them. They’re very new to Test cricket – Jaiswal, Jurel, Sarfaraz, all of them. We saw glimpses of what they can do with the bat, and Jurel, especially, with his gloves behind the stumps. They have everything required to be top players for India in all three formats. Now, obviously, with time, we have to nurture and groom them. We have to keep talking to them, which we will do.,” Rohit Sharma said in the pre-series press conference.
However, Yashasvi Jaiswal was awarded the Player of the Series during the 5-match Test series against England. The youngster smashed 712 runs in the series and he became only the 2nd Indian batter after Sunil Gavaskar to score 700-plus runs in a single bilateral series as well. Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel won his maiden India call-up in the Test series and scored a brilliant 46 on his debut in the 3rd Test in Rajkot as well. In the Ranchi Test, Jurel played a heroic innings of 90 (149) with six fours and two sixes and took India’s score past 300 as well.
He further scored another 39* in the second innings to help his side chase down 192, adding a crucial 62-run stand with Sarfaraz Khan for the fifth wicket. As a result, India won the match by five wickets and Jurel won the Player of the Match. On the other hand, Sarfaraz also made his debut in the Rajkot Test and scored 62 runs. He also played three Tests for India, and he has three fifties to his name.
Rohit added, “But at the end of the day, when you’re playing a sport like this, it all depends on what you think in your mind. I think they’re very clear about what they want to do. They’re very hungry to play cricket for India, and they are hungry for success as well. Jaiswal, especially, had a great series when we played last time. Jurel showed what he is capable of with the bat, getting those runs under pressure in tough situations. Sarfaraz, too, being fearless, not worrying too much about what happens outside of it,” he added.
“You need all kinds of players in your squad these days. It’s not about just having one sort of player. You need players who are fearless, who are cautious, and at the same time, responsible as well. I think we have that mix, which is a good sign,” Rohit Sharma concluded.
