Rathour stated that it was Rohit Sharma’s grit and determination to play cautiously against the new ball with pacers like Kagiso Rabada bowling in good areas which made the difference.
India's Rohit Sharma plays a shot during the first day of the third and final Test match between India and South Africa at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) stadium in Ranchi on October 19, 2019. (Photo by Money SHARMA / AFP)
At one stage India were in a bit of trouble on Day 1 of the ongoing Test match between India and South Africa as the scoreboard read 39/3 and Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli all back in the pavilion. However, the duo of the Mumbai batsmen- Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma saved the day for India and once again helped India finish a day of test cricket which they dominated. Batting coach Vikram Rathour has heaped praises on both of them after the end of day’s play at the JSCA Stadium on Saturday.
Rathour stated that it was Rohit Sharma’s grit and determination to play cautiously against the new ball with pacers like Kagiso Rabada bowling in good areas which made the difference.
“As I said, they were bowling in good areas and there was some help in the wicket. So, as a batsman, you have to survive during that time, which Rohit did very well,” he said.
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“He is too good a player to not play all formats. Opening the batting with him was the right decision. And the number of runs he has scored, he has settled the issue (of opening) for the time being.
“If somebody of his stature starts coming good at the top of the order, that changes everything for the team, even when you are touring. He is such an experienced player; I don’t think you need to tinker with his technique. He just had to make some mental adjustments vis-a-vis his gameplan.”
Speaking on Rahane’s performance, the former Indian opener stated that the Test vice-captain looked good and showed great intent during his unbeaten innings (83*).
“Ajinkya showed great intent today. Whenever he bats with this intent, he looks a really good player,” the batting coach said.
He also praised South African pacer Rabada for bowling his heart out in the first session of the day.
“Rabada is one of the better bowlers in the world at the moment and today he showed why he is rated so high. He bowled great areas today. And that is what good batters need to do in Test cricket, you need to survive those spells,” he stated.
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