India’s captain Rohit Sharma bats during play on day four of the third cricket test between India and Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia on Tuesday (December 17, 2024). File
| Photo Credit: AP
Caught up with the aftermath of R. Ashwin’s retirement, it took a while for Rohit Sharma to reflect on the third Test here at the Gabba on Wednesday. The Indian skipper took his time but once he got into the groove, there was no holding back.
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After snatching a draw in a rain-marred game, Rohit said: “As a team, we don’t give up so easily. We keep fighting. When we came to bowl in the second innings, we came with the intensity of seeing them (Australia) all out for 60, 70 runs.”
The Mumbaikar did not flinch while holding a mirror to himself and said, “I have not batted well and there is no harm in accepting that. Sometimes, these numbers can tell you that it’s been a while since I got big runs, but for a person like me, it’s about how I feel in my mind and what kind of preparation I am doing.”
Lauding Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit said, “He was disappointed with his bowling but that can happen. It’s not easy to not play and then suddenly play. He showed his value with the bat. We needed somebody to stitch a partnership and take the game as deep as possible, Jadeja was there to do that.”
Asked about the mini-celebrations in the Indian dressing room after Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep helped avoid the follow-on, Rohit replied, “It was a little victory for us. Eventually, we ended up with a draw. With Australia being ahead, they didn’t manage to get the result. We saw two guys fighting for the team and we were really happy.”
About Shami’s availability for the team
Rohit Sharma stressed that the last word on Mohammed Shami’s availability to the Indian team belongs to the physios at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. “About Shami, it’s time somebody from the NCA talks. Those guys are the ones who need to give us an update. I understand he is playing a lot of cricket back home, but there have been some complaints about his knee. The last thing you want is a player coming here and then pulling out in the middle of the game. There is no way we want to take that chance unless we are not 100%-200% sure. The door is open if the guys at the NCA feel he is okay and we will be happy to have him,” the Indian skipper said.
Published – December 18, 2024 03:10 pm IST
