Image Credit- BCCI
When it comes to being outnumbered by the opposition’s
Test caps, all three of India’s victories in this series are among the top six
Indian Test victories. In their 2000–01 victory against Australia in Chennai,
they triumphed over a team with 2.83 times their experience. Given that the
teams they defeated in Ranchi, Rajkot, and Visakhapatnam were more than twice
as experienced, Rohit Sharma is happy of the team’s locker room.
“It’s been a very hard-fought series without a
doubt,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation. “To come on the
right side of it at the end of four Test matches feels really, really good.
Really proud of everyone in the dressing room. There were a lot of challenges
thrown at us, but I thought we responded pretty well to different challenges in
different Test matches. I thought we were quite composed in what we wanted to
achieve and what we wanted to do on the field.”
India went through a stretch of play on the last day
of the Ranchi Test when they successfully chased down 192 without hitting a
boundary for 31 overs. Rohit was particularly happy with the young batsmen’
ability to take the strain and focus for extended periods of time during the
series.
“Clearly tells me that they want to be
here,” Rohit said of the youngsters. “All the hard work that they
have done in the past, in the growing-up years, coming through the whole
circuit of playing domestic cricket, playing the local club cricket and
performing there, and then coming here… Obviously it’s a big challenge to play
Test cricket. We all know that. But these guys, when I look at them, when I
talk to them, the responses that I get from them is quite encouraging.
“So, my job and Rahul [Dravid] bhai’s job is to make sure that we give
them the environment that they want to be in. And they don’t feel too much
about going out there and getting the job done. They want to get the job done,
but it is no point keeping talking to them about it or reminding them about it.
Because when they come here, they’re very clear in what they want to do. Dhruv
Jurel, especially playing his second game, showed solid composure. Calmness as
well. He has got the shots as well. Played all round the wicket, the
first-innings 90 was very, very crucial for us to get close to England. And
then obviously again in the second innings, showed a lot of maturity, a lot of
composure as well, along with Shubman Gill.”