Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra hailed Rohit Sharma’s captaincy after India’s seven-wicket win against Bangladesh at Green Park, Kanpur on Tuesday. India registered a 2-0 series win and won their 18th consecutive Test series win at home.
With only 35 overs being bowled on the first three days of the Test match, many thought that the game was heading towards a draw.
However, India was able to turn the tables as they were able to skittle out Bangladesh at 233 and then declared after smashing 285-9 in only 34.4 overs. Rohit Sharma laid the foundation with two sixes off the first two balls against Khaled Ahmed and added a quickfire 55 with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rohit scored a cameo of 11-ball 23 and the other batters followed suit.
“You will have to give him credit for his thinking. The two sixes he hit off two balls, that thinking was more important because then there was no difference in what he said and what he did. You say that you want to play like that but when you show it by doing it, the entire team is behind you,” Aakash Chopra said on Colors Cineplex.
India scored their runs at an impressive economy rate of 8.28 and Chopra added that Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma would have come up with a collective strategy of playing attacking cricket.
“That was worth watching – 50 runs in three overs, 100 runs in 10 overs, and then the fastest 150 and 200, and you said you would declare without even playing 50 overs. You can give credit to the new pairing of Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir for that because these are collective decisions,” Chopra observed.
The renowned commentator said Rohit’s job as a leader was made easy as he had a high-quality bowling line-up of five bowlers at his disposal.
“When you have five bowlers of this level, your job as a captain is very easy. Whomever you give the ball to, you know if not now, sometime later, if not from this end, then the other end. So if you go with that thinking, he is blessed that he has a bowling unit already prepared like this,” he reasoned.
India will next take on Bangladesh in the opening T20I at the New Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, Gwalior on Sunday.
