India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has asked the fans to be patient with veteran batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as they are being criticized for poor batting performances in the first two Tests against New Zealand in the ongoing series.
After losing their first home Test series in 12 years, India will attempt to reclaim their pride in the third and final Test against New Zealand, which begins on Friday in Mumbai.
Both Rohit and Kohli are suffering with their form, which is affecting the team's overall performance. Nayar emphasized that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with these modern-day greats; all they want is a little time and support to regain their peak performance.
"I've seen nothing but love for them all over. When a top player, when someone who's been through the journey, goes through a lull, a lot of times it's about giving them their space and trusting that they will come back. They will put in the work. Everyone's worked hard, everyone wants to do well, whether you're Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma, or even someone as young as Shubman Gill. The effort is there.
"The approach is great. I feel they're putting in the hard yards. Sometimes, sometimes you've got to be a little patient, even with the greatest of players, and they can have tough times. I'm pretty sure sooner rather than later, we'll have more to praise about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and everyone else as well. (We need to have) just a bit of patience," Nayar said on the eve of the final Test.
Speculation says that the field at Wankhede Stadium will once again be spinner-friendly, setting the backdrop for a fascinating match.
Nayar denied claims that turning tracks are being prepared to meet the team's tastes.
"I wish we could curate pitches, but we don't. The curators do. Whatever we're provided with, we go on and play (whether) that'd be a pitch that seamed or a pitch that turned. As cricketers and as a team, we try and play what we're provided with. We don't try and get conditions according to what we want,” Nayar added.
(PTI inputs)
