India’s assistant coach says the processes the veterans are putting in will soon fetch the rewards; the home team skipper, who will feature in a Test in Mumbai after 11 years, will be desperate for a win before his side departs for Australia
They have been the most experienced India internationals in the current set-up. While one has been a batting mainstay across formats over the last decade, the other one has been instrumental in India’s newfound approach and has even led from the front.
Neither is getting any younger, though, with both being on the wrong side of the 30s. And in a world of constant scrutiny, both have been facing a backlash from fans, especially the anonymous Gen Z on social media, due to their ordinary showing in India’s whites this calendar year.
In such a backdrop, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma could not have asked for a better venue than the Wankhede Stadium to turn the tide and head to Australia high on confidence. While Rohit is playing a Test at his home ground after 11 long years, Kohli loves to dance to the rhythm of the North Stand Gang – the fan army that’s a regular feature for every major game at the Big W.
Come Friday, both Kohli and Rohit will be keen to make the Kiwi spinners dance to their tune. That will be a fitting Diwali gift to the fans, who have been utterly disappointed with India’s mediocre show in the first two Tests against New Zealand.
Neither Rohit nor Kohli have appeared to be anywhere near their best in the four innings this series. While the fans — along with a few experts — have been questioning their indifferent form with the willow, the team management as expected has backed the veterans to the hilt.
“I have seen nothing but love for them (Rohit and Virat) all over,” assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said, when asked about the criticism aimed at the veteran duo.
“At times, when a top player, when someone who has been through the journey goes through a lull, a lot of times it is about giving them their space and trusting that they will come back, and they will put in the work. Everyone works really hard, everyone wants to do well, whether you are Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma or even someone as young as Shubman Gill.”
Nayar was confident that the processes that both the veterans are putting in will soon reap rewards. “The effort is there, the approach is great, and they are putting in the hard yards. Sometimes you have to be a little patient, even with the greatest of players and they can have tough times,” said Nayar.
“I am pretty sure, sooner rather than later, we will have more to praise about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and everyone else as well. Just a bit of patience.”
The teams (from):
India: Rohit Sharma (Capt.), Jasprit Bumrah (Vice-capt.), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, K.L. Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep and Washington Sundar.
New Zealand: Tom Latham (Capt.), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee and Will Young. Third Test begins on Friday.