Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar was unfazed by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s absence in the most part of the upcoming four-match Test series in Australia, saying India has the batting depth and talent to overcome the absences of the duo.
India will be without Rohit in the first two Tests while skipper Kohli will return to home on paternity leave after the first Test – starting December 17 (Thursday) at Adelaide Oval, miss the last three Test matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
In the absence of two run-machines in Kohli and Rohit, it will be really a testing time for India in the Test series with many seeing it as a big opportunity for other batsmen likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara and newcomers Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, and Prithvi Shaw to rise to the occasion.
However, Tendulkar isn’t worried about the absence of India’s two of the best batsmen of the modern-era saying it is “about the team, not about individuals” as he was hopeful for a good show even in Kohli and Rohit’s absence in the crucial Australia Test campaign.
Tendulkar told Reuters over the telephone: “Our batting has enough depth. Rohit wasn’t there in New Zealand also, it’s not the first time that we are traveling without Rohit.”
He further added, “Nothing is guaranteed ... sometimes players get injured and are ruled out of a tournament or an entire series. One has to be prepared to play without whoever that individual is. Eventually, it is about the team, not about individuals.”
Meanwhile, the 47-year-old also backed Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane to successfully step into Kohli’s shoes as captain for the last three Tests of the series in Australia.
Tendulkar added, “I’ve seen Ajinkya lead earlier. He’s quite a calm, composed guy, balanced guy. He’s aggressive but he’s in control. I’ve seen him closely, he’s someone who wants to learn, who wants to grasp as many things as possible. I find him a very sincere, hardworking player.”
On the other hand, the Master Blaster also warned the Indian cricket team that the Australian batting line-up is far better than the last time with the return of Steve Smith, David Warner (will miss 1st Test) – both missed the last series due to ball-tampering incident and the emergence of Marnus Labuschagne.
He continued, “If you look at Australia’s batting lineup, it is far better than last time. They have more experience. Last time the experience element was missing, it was evident.”
Tendulkar has expressed concerns about the transition as India hasn’t played a Test since February 2020 and now they are set to play their first Test with the pink ball under the lights – their only second game.
He signed off by saying, “The last test should have been the pink ball match so that gradual transition is there. We haven’t played test cricket for 10 months and now the first test match that we will play will be with pink ball. Ideally, players would have found a normal test match an easier transition maybe.”
(Reuters inputs)
