Rohit Sharma . (Photo Source: Alex Davidson-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Indian captain, Rohit Sharma,acknowledged the team’s struggles in assembling a formidable pace bowling attack due to several fast bowlers being sidelined with injuries. In light of this predicament, Sharma stated that they have no choice but to carefully manage the available resources by rotating them accordingly.
For the Test series in West Indies, India have decided to rest senior pacer Mohammed Shami, while Jasprit Bumrah remains unfit and Umesh Yadav has been dropped. In the absence of these key players, the pace attack will be led by Mohammed Siraj, who will be accompanied by Jaydev Unadkat, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, and Mukesh Kumar.
During a press conference prior to the first Test in Dominica, Rohit Sharma was asked about his thoughts on India’s experienced bowling attack for the red-ball series, to which he responded:
“Fast bowlers have claimed a lot of wickets here (in West Indies). People get injured, and we have to rotate players, unfortunately. Hamare pass fast bowlers ki line nahi lagi hui hain (we don’t have a line of fast bowlers).”
Sharma expressed confidence in the selected bowlers, mentioning the experience of Jaydev Unadkat and the consistent performances of Mukesh Kumar in domestic cricket. Managing the workload of players and looking ahead to the World Cup were also key considerations for Sharma as he stated:
“This will always be a challenge for Indian cricket because we play a lot. We have to give players enough breaks because we want them to be fresh.”
I want all 11 players to step up: Rohit
Sharma acknowledged that focusing solely on one series is not a luxury they can afford, as they need to consider the larger picture and create bench strength for future tournaments. As the team gears up for the Test series, Sharma highlighted the collective responsibility of all 11 players to contribute towards victory.
While the expectations from senior players like himself and Virat Kohli are high, Sharma emphasized, “Whenever you wear the India t-shirt, everyone’s responsibility is equal. I want all 11 players to step up.”
With the first Test set to commence in Dominica on July 12, India will rely on their seasoned batters, including Sharma and Kohli, to deliver strong performances. As the team copes with the challenges posed by injuries and player rotations, the aim is to develop a robust bowling lineup and create a winning combination for the upcoming matches.