Former India opener turned commentator Aakash Chopra has said that there was never any debate about Rohit Sharma’s leadership credentials. He further added that his leadership skills were evident in the first ODI against West Indies as well. Rohit led Team India for the first time in ODI cricket after becoming the full-time white-ball captain and registered a convincing six-wicket win against the Windies.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said: “It was just the first match for Rohit Sharma as full-time captain and we saw what was expected of him. A lot of people are asking the question about how different his captaincy was. Rohit Sharma was a good captain yesterday, is a good captain today and will remain a good captain tomorrow as well.”
Chopra explained: “Whether he is a temporary or permanent captain, the fact is that he reads the game beautifully and there is no doubt about that. He did the same thing, the way he used the bowlers, the way he introduced them, whether it was Washington Sundar or utilizing Yuzi Chahal’s overs.”
Meanwhile, Washington Sundar was introduced into the attack in the eighth over and did well with the new ball too. He claimed a couple of wickets in the 12th over to take the upperhand. Yuzvendra Chahal then joined hands as they scalped seven wickets between them.
READ HERE: Gary Kirsten all set to work with Hardik Pandya
Aakash Chopra again shared: “He [Rohit] kept on putting a stranglehold on the West Indies batters, he was brilliant. Winning the toss is another important moment, it is starting to become a deciding factor in white-ball cricket. His friendship with the toss is good, it might turn out to be very useful in ICC events.”
“I was a little surprised that Deepak Chahar was not given a chance. There was a choice between Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar. I was surprised because Deepak Chahar had made runs in the last ODI and picked up wickets as well, Shardul’s one-day leg was not that exciting in terms of the bowler, he did score runs with the bat,” he again added.
Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra has also said that unnecessary pressure has been created on the veteran leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal now. According to Chopra, Chahal is India’s primary slow bowler in limited-overs cricket. He claimed 4 for 49 in India’s 1000th one-day match.
Speaking after the game, Chopra told ESPN Cricinfo: “There is always pressure whenever you are playing for India. But this pressure on Chahal, I think it is just fabricated in a fashion. Why would you question a player’s place in the side when he has been your wrecker-in-chief, your primary spinner for the last 3-4 years? Suddenly, you don’t play him enough, he doesn’t pick up wickets and he feels under the pump.”
READ HERE: India will struggle if Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma don’t score, says Mohammad Hafeez
The veteran continued: “This should have been just another game for Yuzvendra Chahal at white-ball level. He is still your primary spinner, he has picked up enough wickets and he showed it once again by spinning a web around the Windies batters.”
“Washington Sundar was brilliant and, when wickets are falling at the other end, Yuzvendra Chahal is a different bowler altogether. Jason Holder gave West Indies some respectability but 176 was never going to be enough even if the surface was a little more bowler-friendly than expected. I expected this pitch to be a bit more batter-friendly. But, this was a pitch where the ball was gripping, turning and not coming on to the bat nicely. When you look at the West Indian batting line-up, they thrive on stroke-making. They are not grafters, barring Shai Hope,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
