Former Team India head coach and commentator, Ravi Shastri, expressed discontent over Rohit Sharma’s decision to take the second new ball that early on Day 1, considering the age of senior pacers Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami in the ongoing Ahmedabad Test against Australia.
Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green used the second new ball to their advantage and helped Australia finish day one at 255/4, and the duo notched up hundreds to put the hosts in trouble in the ongoing fourth and final Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Rohit's move of taking the second new ball 9 overs before stumps backfired on the first day in the Ahmedabad Test, and Shastri said that it was not the right move to take the new ball that early given the age of Umesh and Shami.
Ravi Shastri said on commentary for Star Sports during Day 2: “I think India lost the plot last night. Taking the new ball was not the right thing to do considering Umesh is 35, Shami is not getting any younger. They had bowled a lot. They were getting tired. A shorter burst with two overs is fine. But taking the new ball as early as that let Australia get away.”
Meanwhile, India failed to get a wicket in the morning session on Day 2 of the Test on Friday, and Shastri said that the ongoing match is a big test for Rohit Sharma as captain.
Explaining his statement, the former coach said: “As a captain, things have moved fast during his tenure. He has been captaining on turning tracks where things get over in three days. So, this is a big learning curve. When you play on a surface like this where wickets are hard to come, the batting is good. As a captain, you've got to put your thinking cap on, and marshall your resources.”
He concluded, “It's one thing captaining in India, one thing captaining overseas and one thing captaining in India on good tracks like these. He has all the skills, this is the exposure that he needs.”
(With Hindustan Times Inputs)
