India captain Rohit Sharma talked about the gutsy move by him and the team management to push for a result in the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur. With play not possible for over two days due to rain and a wet outfield in Kanpur, India pulled off a miraculous win to pocket the series 2-0.
After Bangladesh was asked to bat first by Rohit Sharma on day one, no play was possible after lunch and days 2 and 3 were also washed out due to rain and wet outfield.
However, Rohit Sharma and the team changed the plans and bowled out Bangladesh for 233 in the first innings. Then India went after the bowling, scoring 285/9d in 34.4 overs with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul scoring searing fifties, while Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill also contributed quick scores.
Bangladesh, trailing by 52 runs, was then bowled out for 149 in the first session on day five and India chased down the 95-run target with 7 wickets in hand. They won the series 2-0 and registered their 18th consecutive Test series win at home.
After the win, Rohit admitted that the decision to go for a result could have backfired but the entire team was clear on how they were going to approach the game.
"The bowlers came to the party first. They got the wickets that we needed. And then when we came inside, we had to take a little bit of risk to get a result. I know the result could have gone either way. But I was okay with it. So was the coach and the other players as well. Because you have to be brave enough to take those decisions and go and play that way," Rohit said in a video posted by BCCI.
"When things fall in place, everything looks good. And that is where it can change quickly when things don't fall in place. Everybody would have started criticizing the decision that we took and all of that. But what matters is what we think inside this changing room. And that is what mattered and that is what we went with in this game. It was a clear plan that we wanted the result, and how we could get the result. Everybody started finding answers to that. I think it was an exceptional series,” he added.
Rohit agreed that such judgments contain risks and that they are not always correct, but you must support them. The 37-year-old captain stated that he has been around long enough to trust his on-field judgments and decisions.
"I think when you are playing at such a high level, you need to have a bit of everything. You need to be calm, to think wisely. There are a lot of decisions that you have to take on the field. Not every decision will go your way, but you have to back it and use your experience, use your knowledge.
So that is what I do. I have been there enough to trust my judgment that I do take on the field, of the decisions that I make on the field. I trust it and then I go by it. Obviously, there are players around me who are open to giving suggestions, but at the end of the day, I think I trust my mind and I trust my judgment. And that's all that matters," Rohit added.
The Indian team also performed admirably in the field during the second Test, catching 23 out of 24 balls. From Mohammed Siraj's one-handed stunner to clinical work in the slip cordon, India fielders seized nearly everything that came their way with perfection.
Rohit stated that the squad has been working hard in the fielding department, with the backroom staff assisting them in every way possible.
"It may go unnoticed, but I was just informed that out of the 24 catches that came our way, we took 23 of them, which is a great result. Especially in the slips, you don't often see in India a ball carrying through the slips. But the guys who were standing behind were so sharp and to take those catches, may look easy on television, but it is not.
Trust me, because they are standing way ahead than they normally do. So all those catches that come their way, are very hard to take. The reaction time is much less. And I have seen it, they put a lot of effort into getting those things right. And Dilip obviously is helping with the players. Some crucial catches as well, which actually turned the game around," Rohit said.
Here is the video:
Team India next take on Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series which will be followed by three Tests against New Zealand at home.
