India team captain Rohit Sharma has revealed that he learned some crucial tips on how to lead home spinners in Test matches by watching his predecessor Virat Kohli. The opener stated that for the spinners to make a consistent impact in India, the opposition must stay on the defensive.
India, led by Rohit, defeated Australia by one innings and 132 runs in the first Test at Nagpur on Saturday 11 February. The Australians were bowled out for 91 in their second innings as Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 5/37. In the early innings, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja picked up a five fer on his return as Australia folded for 177 after winning the toss and batting first.
When asked about his captaincy philosophy regarding top spinners in home tests, Rohit said in a post-match conference:
“When I was playing as a player and Virat was captaining them, I noticed that even if we don’t take a wicket, that pressure has to be there for the opposition to make a mistake. That’s something I learned when Virat was the captain and these guys were bowling. That’s what I’m trying to do now. Just apply that pressure; don’t get too excited. You have to stick with it.”
On the challenge of captaining quality spinners like Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar Patel, Rohit made an interesting comparison. He opined:
“It’s like captaining Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc in Australia. Pretty similar. When you have the quality of Axar, Jadeja and Ash, having played in India for so many years, it’s always a blessing. They never disappoint.
“The conditions are there, yes, but you have to go out and extract those conditions as well. They have played a lot in these fields. So they know exactly what to do, what areas to hit.”
While Jadeja and Ashwin dominated the proceedings, Axar only managed one wicket. However, he contributed a vital 84 with the bat.
“Many overs have invested in his skills” – Rohit Sharma on Ashwin
While Todd Murphy claimed seven wickets for Australia on his Test debut, senior spinner Nathan Lyon had a poor game. He managed just a scalp in 49 overs.
On why Ashwin represents a different type of threat in India compared to other spinners, Rohit put it down to experience and skill. He elaborated:
“Ash has played a lot of cricket in India. He is approaching 100 test matches and I am pretty sure he has played more test matches in India. Many overs have gone into his abilities. He can throw the carrom ball, the slider and the top-spinner.
“The guy has it all. He is able to extract a lot due to his skill set. You see it better and better every time.”
Having played 89 Tests, Ashwin has claimed 457 wickets at an average of 24.05, with 31 hauls from five wickets.