Rohit Sharma and his team secured a victorious five-wicket triumph over England in the fourth Test match held in Ranchi.
Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel’s partnership of 72 runs for the sixth wicket paved the way for India’s victory, with Shubman remaining unbeaten at 72 and Jurel contributing 39* runs.
In the initial innings, Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal set a solid foundation, adding 84 runs for the first wicket. Rohit played a composed innings, scoring 55 runs off 81 balls, while Jaiswal contributed 37 runs from 44 balls.
During the post-match press conference, when asked about the eagerness of young cricketers to play Test cricket, Rohit Sharma responded cryptically. He emphasized that the players’ passion for Test cricket is evident in their demeanor, and those lacking the hunger for the longer format are easily recognizable.
“Dekho, jinko Test Cricket ki bhook nahi hain, wo dekh ke hi pata chal jata hain. Un sabko khilane ka kya faida phir? (See, the one who doesn’t have hunger to play Tests can be seen, what’s the meaning of playing them),” the legendary player said.
Rohit Sharma’s statement left the fans wondering about its intended audience, but it’s evident that several young cricketers have been given opportunities in the Indian Test side. Among them are Ishan Kishan, KS Bharat, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, and Dhruv Jurel.
These players garnered attention and earned their spots in the Test side, but unfortunately, their on-field performances didn’t quite live up to the hype, leading to their exclusion from the team. Notably, Ishan Kishan opted out of the selection for the Test series against England.
In contrast, Mukesh Kumar, KS Bharat, and Rajat Patidar faced challenges and struggled in the Tests they participated in. On a more positive note, players like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel demonstrated their skills and earned the trust of the Indian management.
Kishan, who initially joined the Indian side for the South Africa tour, made a quick return home citing personal reasons, and has been away from competitive cricket since. Recently, he was seen hitting the gym alongside Hardik Pandya. Meanwhile, Shreyas isn’t participating in the Ranji Trophy, where his team Mumbai is currently engaged in a quarter-final match against Baroda.
Shifting focus to the IND vs ENG Test series, the team led by Rohit Sharma secured their 17th consecutive Test series win in India. Notably, it marked the first time since 2013 that India successfully chased a total of 150 or more runs on home soil. Additionally, this series loss for England was the first under the leadership of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.
