Team India captain Rohit Sharma praised his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal ahead of the three-match Test series against New Zealand, starting on October 16 in Bengaluru. The duo has developed strong chemistry, effectively adapting to different conditions.
Since making his red-ball debut during the West Indies tour in 2023, Jaiswal has made a promising start to his career. His performance alongside Rohit has significantly contributed to India’s success in the third cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).
Recently, they demonstrated their attacking skills by setting the stage for India’s notable win against Bangladesh in Kanpur, reaching the 50-run mark in just three overs after rain had disrupted play for two days.
“He’s a real talent. He has got the game to play in all sorts of conditions. He’s still new so it’s hard to judge. But he’s got all the ingredients. He has come through the ranks and has succeeded. That’s why he’s playing for India,” Rohit Sharma said during the pre-match press conference (via RevSportz Global on X).
The duo’s aggressive batting may be crucial once more, given the bleak forecast for the first Test in Bengaluru. India had to cancel their practice session before the match due to ongoing rain, and similar weather is expected over the next five days.
Despite half of the match being washed out, India secured a win against Bangladesh in Kanpur, with bowlers taking 20 wickets and the batters establishing a lead after just 34.4 overs in their first innings.
“We’ll see how the days pan out. Then we will take a call. In Kanpur, we didn’t get the game on two days and then decided to go for the win. I don’t know what it is going to be here. We’ll see what lies ahead of us and then take a call. We want to try and win games,” Rohit added.
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir shares a similar view ahead of the series opener. The impressive drainage facilities at M Chinnaswamy Stadium will be crucial as India aims to secure maximum points before their tour to Australia.
“We Will Decide Tomorrow Morning”- Rohit Sharma on Team India’s bowling combination
Team India has continued with a lineup of three seamers and two spinners during their home season. The red soil pitch in Chennai and the cloudy conditions in Kanpur influenced this choice, which has proven effective, with Akash Deep posing challenges for batters.
A similar selection dilemma is emerging again, as overcast conditions are expected for the first Test. Additionally, the bench includes skilled spinners like Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel.
“It all depends on the conditions. Today it has been raining. The pitch is under covers. We will take a call tomorrow morning on 3 pacers or 2 pacers and our best playing XI. We are keeping our options open,” Rohit said (via RevSportz Global on X).
With the pitch being covered, there may be moisture that the new ball bowlers can exploit, potentially favoring a pace-oriented bowling attack.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.