India captain Rohit Sharma has revealed that the team management has kept their options open and might think of playing two spinners in the fourth BGT 2024 Test against Australia. This match will be played at the MCG, in Melbourne from December 26 onwards.
With the possibility of Melbourne's pitch slowing down over the last 2-3 days of the match after undergoing wear and tear on the initial two days, Rohit hinted at playing a second spinner in the XI.
"Whatever we have to do to make the best possible XI in these conditions, we will do that -- whether that is playing an extra spinner or not," said Rohit at the press conference in Melbourne on Tuesday.
MCG curator, on the other hand, indicated that he expected the fast bowlers to benefit from the surface, despite the weather forecast indicating temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius on the first day of the match (December 26).
India has Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and also called in Tanush Kotian from India to be in the spin department. The visitors have heavily relied on Jasprit Bumrah to take wickets, with Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and Harshit Rana failing to match the Indian vice-captain's consistency.
But Rohit threw his weight behind the pacers, putting his "faith" in the bowling unit "to get the job done".
"When you talk about our bowling unit, I have enough faith in all our bowlers to get the job done," he said. "Anyone can have tough games, tough series. But it doesn't mean they are not good enough to perform at this level. It (so) happened that in these two or three games they've not been able to get those big numbers, but that's okay, it happens. I have enough confidence and faith in them,” Rohit Sharma said.
Bumrah has taken 21 wickets in three Tests, which includes two five-fors and a four-wicket spell. Siraj had taken 13 wickets as well.
Addressing reporters, the Indian skipper praised his squad for their stunning victory in the first Test in Perth, emphasizing the team's never-say-die mentality.
Rohit said, "We have played some really good cricket. We've been fortunate as well when we won that Perth Test match, when you get bowled out for 150 runs, you feel that you are under pressure a little bit and then the attitude from the boys, how they turned and bowled out Australia for 100 runs (104), shows that there's an attitude where nobody wants to give it up until the last day of the Test match.
And that is the attitude we've been carrying for a long time now. When you tour abroad you know have to put in that extra effort, have that extra bit of attitude within the team and that is something we showed in that Test match."
Rohit Sharma admitted that India didn’t play well in the Adelaide Test, which Australia won by 10 wickets.
"And in Adelaide, we were a little behind the game, we didn't play well, which I admitted too. And then Brisbane obviously there wasn't much, only 180-190 overs were bowled. So after three Test matches, if I have to look at it, being 1-1 is a fair reflection of how both teams have played, there has been solid cricket being played by both teams and now these two Test matches are going to be so important for both teams. But we want to break it down to just Melbourne now and focus on what we can achieve here, get our things right, play well, bat well, bowl well,l and take some good catches as well," Rohit added.
The two sides are locked at 1-1 in the five-Test series with India needing one more win to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India have played 14 Tests at the MCG, winning 4 and losing 8, while 2 have ended in draws.
(PTI inputs)
