The captain of Team India, Rohit Sharma, declined to place too much emphasis on England’s “Bazball” strategy, which has contributed to their incredible success in Test cricket. He said that playing excellent cricket is the team’s main priority.
The cricket series between India and England, consisting of five matches, will kick off in Hyderabad this Thursday, January 25. It’s considered a showdown between the robust English hitters and India’s skilled spin bowlers.
In a press conference held prior to the game, Rohit was questioned about his opinions about England’s “Bazball” gameplay style.
“We’ll look to play our cricket. I’m not interested in looking at how the opposition is going to play and all of that. For us, it’s important that we look into our cricket. Focus on what we need to do as a team and then take it from there.”
Rohit Sharma
The Indian skipper reiterated what head coach Rahul Dravid had said earlier: KL Rahul would not hold wickets throughout the Test series. He will not, however, divulge who exactly amongst Dhruv Jurel and KS Bharat will be wearing the gloves in Hyderabad.
“Yeah, obviously those are the two keepers [Bharat and Jurel] in the squad. We’ll see and assess the performance. We are obviously looking at the bigger picture. We want to give as many games as possible to the individual. But we’ll assess after every game what happens and what is right for the team. Whatever is right for the team will do the necessary things.”
Rohit Sharma
Bharat has participated in five testing matches for India. For Jurel, his first two test selections marked his initial invitation to join the national team.
“Ashwin and Siraj have been important players for us” – Rohit Sharma
During the team’s first two Test matches against England, other bowlers will have more of an impact owing to Mohammed Shami’s injury.
When asked about Mohammed Siraj and Ravichandran Ashwin’s significance to the bowling team, Rohit acknowledged that both are essential players.
“Ashwin and Siraj have been important players for us. Siraj has come up through the ranks in the last two years. He has proved himself in various conditions for us. He has taken his game to another level. Ashwin is class. We know his quality. Every time he takes the field, he tends to impresses all of us.”
Rohit Sharma
Mohammed Siraj has taken 68 wickets in 23 matches, compared to Ashwin’s 490 wickets from 95 Tests.