NEW DELHI: During the lunch break on the second day of the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Indian captain Rohit Sharma addressed his absence from the playing XI while lauding the leadership qualities of stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah.
Rohit revealed that his decision to sit out the Sydney Test stemmed from his inability to contribute effectively with the bat. “I stood down, that is what I would say. Basically the chat I had with the coach and selector was simple: I am not in form, it is an important match and we need a player in form,” he explained in an interview with Star Sports.
Scorecard: India vs Australia, 5th Test
Shifting focus to Bumrah, Rohit expressed his admiration for the pacer’s remarkable journey over the past decade. “The way he [Bumrah] sets standards with the ball, he is absolute class. When I saw him for the first time in 2013, his graph has gone really high ever since and has gone from strength to strength,” Rohit said.
However, Rohit also acknowledged the challenges that come with leadership. “Nothing is given in this format of the game; you’ve got to earn it. What happens in leadership is, every day will not be a good day. Ideas and mindset can be the same, but sometimes the result won’t work in your favor,” he added, offering advice from his own experience as captain.
The first session of the day saw India’s bowlers deliver a dominant performance, reducing Australia to 101/5 in response to India’s modest first-innings total of 185. Bumrah (2/27) and Mohammed Siraj (2/28) led the charge with two wickets apiece, while Prasidh Krishna, stepping in for the injured Akash Deep, claimed the crucial wicket of Steve Smith just before the break.
Reflecting on the match situation, Rohit noted the importance of patience on a challenging pitch. “The discussion before the start today was that there’s a lot [of assistance for the bowlers] on the wicket, and it will be a game of patience. Our batters struggled, and we knew it wouldn’t be easy for their batters either. The challenge is to maintain pressure consistently, and we’ve taken five wickets in the session. The boys bowled really well, and the catching was excellent as well,” he said.
Looking ahead, Rohit stressed the significance of building on their strong start. “The next session is going to be really crucial. This is what happens in Test cricket—every session is crucial. We won the previous session; hopefully, we will win the next session as well,” he concluded.
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