India’s first Test against South Africa has done and dusted where India won by a whopping 203 runs. The test has been in news since the beginning – be it, Rohit Sharma, pushing to the opener’s slot or Rishabh Pant’s exclusion. However, team management’s decision became fruitful as Rohit Sharma hit two centuries in two innings. On the other hand, Mayank Agarwal too scored a double-ton. However, Rohit Sharma shared that he has been waiting for since long and has been preparing for this too.
“The communication to me happened a couple of years ago that I might open at some stage. So even when I wasn’t playing Tests, I was batting against the new balls in the nets,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony. “No matter what ball you play, red or white, if you are starting the innings, you need to be careful. When the ball is doing a little bit, you have to access the situation.”
Rohit finished with 176 in the first innings and then 127, stumped by Quinton de Kock off Keshav Maharaj on both occasions. Surprisingly, this was also the first time an Indian batsman was dismissed stumped in both the innings.
“That’s what my game is all about, a bit of caution and a bit of aggression. The whole focus was to go out there and have fun,” he added. “We have seen him (Shami) in these conditions not just today but earlier also. I still remember our debut together in Kolkata (2013), where the pitch was not exactly like this but on day four and five, it was slightly lower and slower. He knows how to bowl on these pitches, gets reverse swing straight into play once he knows there is some help on offer.”
He thinks the conditions in Visakhapatnam were ideal for Shami as he got the ball to reverse both ways.
“It is not easy to bowl when the reverse is happening. You need to pitch in the right areas, need to make sure the ball is just around the off-stump and it comes and hits the middle-stump. He has mastered that art now, bowling with the old ball and getting it to reverse. Yes these type of conditions are pretty ideal for him. He makes them play all the balls and it is tough for the batsmen on a pitch like this, where the ball was doing something from the cracks. It keeps you in the game. Batsmen doesn’t know which way it will reverse swing. I would say he has mastered how to bowl with the old ball,” he shared.
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Having made a wonderful start in Test, Rohit said it is still early days for him in the longer format of the game.
“That communication (on opening) between management and myself happened long time ago that I might have to do at some stage. So for the past two or three years I was prepared for it mentally. Whenever I was not playing a Test match, in the nets I was batting with the new ball trying to be ready if the opportunity come. It’s a great start and I have long way to go. It’s not the end, it’s the start. Good things are about to follow,” said Rohit. “All those things are nice to happen along the way but have said many times I am not here for records. I just want to enjoy the game. I know it might be boring but that is what it is.”
Wriddhiman Saha replaced the out-of-form Rishabh Pant in the playing eleven for the first test.
“I thought Saha kept really well. We have grown up in these conditions but it is not easy for the ‘keeper in these conditions because the odd ball turns, stays low, and there is sudden bounce also,” he explained. “I don’t know about that technically but as a keeper you have to stay very still and I thought he did a great job. He is also a great help for DRS Calls. He is a big part of our line up and that is why he is back in the squad.”
However, the opener also praised the youngster Rishabh Pant.
“Speaking of Pant, he is definitely a quality that any team wants. Who should play and who should not (between Saha and Pant) I am not getting into that but we have seen what Pant can do with the bat. Of course, he is working hard on his game, both batting and keeping. Keeping plays a big part in these conditions and I am sure the support staff will ensure Pant gets better with time. He can also learn a lot from Saha. In the West Indies, Saha guided him after every session. They have a great understanding,” he concluded.
