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'He's shy enough not to mention it': Dravid singles out 'critical situation' vs England, hands Rohit Sharma huge acclaim
Rahul Dravid spoke in detail about Rohit Sharma's contributions with the bat after the 4-1 series win against England
India registered a sensational innings-and-64-run win over England in the fifth and final Test of the series in Dharamsala, clinching a 4-1 victory. The side outclassed England on the third day of the Test yet again, bundling the visitors out for just 195 after putting 479 on the board in the first innings.
The series win added to captain Rohit Sharma's sublime record as Test skipper; he has yet to concede a series defeat, winning in five of the seven series where he has captained the side since taking over the leadership role over two years ago.
The series against England presented a difficult challenge for Rohit, as he was left with an inexperienced squad – particularly among batters – for a majority of the games. With no Virat Kohli throughout the whole series and KL Rahul ruled out after the first match due to injury, Rohit had to rely on his young brigade while ensuring his own performances remained consistent.
While the Indian captain did make a slow start with the bat, he eventually played a crucial role in the side's series win, scoring two important centuries. Rohit ended with 400 runs in five Tests, averaging 44.44.
India's head coach, Rahul Dravid, praised Rohit's significant contribution throughout the series, highlighting a particular innings that exemplified the team's dependence on their captain.
“It has been a pleasure watching him bat since I saw him as an 18-year-old. It is always pleasing to the eye. But I think he has added a lot of steel and grit to that. Sometimes, we forget that a little bit. Look at his numbers. He was shy enough not to mention the critical situation where he won the toss in Rajkot, and we were 3 down in the first hour. You need somebody to step up and get a hundred, and the captain does that for you,” Dravid said in a chat on JioCinema.
India were left reeling at 33/3 in the first innings of the Rajkot Test; Rohit then partnered Ravindra Jadeja and scored a prolific 133 off 196 deliveries, adding 204 runs for the fourth wicket to bail the side out of trouble.
“Second innings in Ranchi, you needed a start to chase 192. Both the openers gave us that. He has been terrific to watch; it is not easy to start as a middle-order player and then open. To do that consistently when we needed it, especially in the last three games, is a credit to him in spite of other things happening around him,” said Dravid further.
