Ravi Shastri backs Rohit Sharma's leadership despite upset against NZ
Former Indian cricket team coach Ravi Shastri has backed Rohit Sharma's captaincy skills. This comes after India lost a home Test series to New Zealand recently. It was their first such defeat since 2012 and ended an incredible run of 18 consecutive home Test series wins. However, despite the defeat, Shastri feels Sharma is keen to make a comeback from this loss.
Shastri believes Rohit is hurting after series loss
Shastri said Sharma is a proud man and he won't take the series defeat lightly. He made this point during his commentary stint in the second Test match. "Rohit Sharma is a proud man. He will not take it lightly. Let me assure you of that," said Shastri, hinting the loss would have hurt the Indian skipper.
Shastri asserts Indian team's determination to recover
Further, Shastri claimed every player in the Indian dressing room has Sharma's determination to bounce back from this defeat. He said, "His body language might suggest that he's very relaxed. But deep down, he'll be hurting and hurting big. Not just with him but with every Indian player in that dressing room." This highlights the team's collective resolve after their series loss.
Rohit's captaincy and form questioned during NZ series
Sharma's captaincy calls, especially his decision to bat first after a day's rain in the first Test, faced severe criticism during the New Zealand series. His own form with the bat was also questioned as he could only muster 62 runs in four innings. However, despite all this, Sharma kept a cool head in his post-match press conference after the series defeat.
Rohit's response to series loss and future strategies
In response to the series loss, Sharma said, "Just because we have lost a series, I don't think there is anything that we need to talk differently or do differently. But yeah, we need to find ways to come out of those situations." He stressed on not overreacting but having constructive discussions with team members about their roles and expectations moving forward.
India's path to WTC final becomes challenging
India's back-to-back defeats against New Zealand have made their path to the WTC final tougher. To qualify without relying on other results, India now needs to win at least four of their remaining six Tests. This is easier said than done as five of these matches are lined up in Australia, where the conditions are heavily tilted in favor of the hosts.
