NEW DELHI: India captain Rohit Sharma made a strong statement on Sunday, emphasizing that the team will not abandon their recently adopted aggressive style of play in Test matches after suffering a single loss.
Despite India’s valiant effort to score 462 runs in the second innings, following a dismal first innings total of 46, New Zealand proved to be the superior side, securing an eight-wicket victory in the first Test in Bengaluru.
“We don’t change our mindset based on one game or one series. We are not going to change our mindset fearing the losing of a Test match,” Rohit said in the post-match press meet.
India showcased a similar determination against Bangladesh recently in Kanpur, striving for victory even after losing more than two days to rain.
“It’s about to try and not let the opposition know that we are under pressure or we are behind the game. When you are actually behind, you want to try and do extraordinary things and play without any fear.
“Some of the Test matches we played recently shows what I am talking about and that’s how it’s going to be. It’s one thing to talk about it, but actually we went out there (in Bengaluru) and played some fearless cricket,” added Rohit.
However, Rohit noted a flip side to this, stating that the visiting batters have also been seeking ways to tackle Indian bowlers, particularly the spinners. He pointed to Rachin Ravindra‘s century as a prime example.
“Some of the shots Rachin played were really, really good. He played well against spinners. He understood what our spinners were trying to do and he didn’t back off from playing his natural game. Rachin and (Devon) Conway put our spinners under pressure playing different shots,” he said.
Rohit also reflected on Ollie Pope‘s century in the first Test at Hyderabad earlier this year, where he effectively used various types of sweeps against the Indian spinners.
“England batters had done that. Anyone who is coming to India now, they are trying to put the pressure on the bowlers by doing different things, different methods. But we know exactly what we are supposed to do when the situation like that arises,” he added.