IND vs ENG: 2nd Test – Ajinkya Rahane backs Rohit Sharma to come good
Ajinkya Rahane, the vice-captain of India’s Test team, has backed Rohit Sharma, saying that a player of the highest stature doesn’t necessarily need to score big in every other game. In the first Test against England at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Rohit got scores of six and 12, before getting out to Jofra Archer and Jack Leach respectively.
Despite the failures, Rahane reckons that it’s only a matter of time before the 33-year-old returns to form. He iterated the importance of not losing faith in a player after an odd failure. Rahane put forth his opinions on Rohit in a press conference ahead of India’s second Test, starting February 13 at the Chepauk itself.
It is all about having faith in the player: Ajinkya Rahane
“A good player doesn’t need to score 100 and 150 every game. We know Rohit is a class player. If a player doesn’t perform in odd games, that doesn’t mean he is a bad player. Rohit is an important member in the squad and he will soon put up a good score soon. It is all about having faith in the player,” Rahane told.
In the opening Test, which India lost by a mammoth margin of 227 runs, the hosts’ spinners also came under the scanner. Even as Ravi Ashwin bowled with precision, Washington Sundar and especially, Shahbaz Nadeem’s performance were scrutinised.
Nadeem also went under the scanner for bowling no-balls, though he got four wickets in the match. However, Rahane stated that the Indian spinners didn’t underperform by any means on a track, which wasn’t conducive for spin-bowling in the first two days of the game.
“I thought our spinners bowled really well. If you saw the first 2 days of the first Test, there was nothing for our spinners and fast bowlers. Considering they batted for 190 overs and scored 580-odd runs, I thought we bowled really well.
“If you see the second innings, all our spinners – especially Ashwin – bowled really well. We know if in India the ball is turning, then the opposition will be under pressure. We’re not too concerned about how our spinners are bowling,” he added.
