India’s Rohit Sharma (left) and Virat Kohli. — AFP/File
SYDNEY: India coach Gautam Gambhir mentioned veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli nonetheless have a future within the workforce if they need it, regardless of disappointing returns on the check tour of Australia.
The vacationers went down 3-1 within the sequence after dropping the fifth Take a look at by six wickets on Sunday to relinquish the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the primary time in a decade.
Common Take a look at captain Rohit was rested for the match at his personal request after poor returns within the second, third and fourth matches, whereas Kohli made 17 and 6 in his two innings in Sydney.
“I can’t talk about the future of any player, it’s up to them as well,” Gambhir mentioned.
“What I can say is that they still have the hunger, they still have the passion. They are tough people, and hopefully they can continue to take Indian cricket forward.
“However finally, no matter they plan, they’ll plan for one of the best pursuits of Indian cricket.”
Gambhir was loathe to blame the Sydney defeat on stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah’s inability to bowl in the second innings because of a back complaint, even if he said the fast bowler had been “completely excellent” over the rest of the series.
“It could have been good if he would have been there, however we nonetheless had 5 bowlers, and a great workforce is one which isn’t depending on one particular person,” he said.
“We did not get the consequence, so simple as that. We misplaced the sequence.”
India managed only two centuries over the five matches and Gambhir said his batters needed to develop better application in the test arena.
“I feel every part boils all the way down to the temperament,” he said. “Every little thing boils all the way down to how a lot you wish to play these robust moments, how a lot you wish to grind in check cricket.
“I feel that that is one issue that we need to probably look after. How can we convert those 20s, 30s, or 40s into big hundreds, not only hundreds, but big hundreds, and set the game for our bowlers?”
Gambhir gave brief shrift to Australian accusations that his gamers had intimidated teenage opener Sam Konstas within the final two matches of the sequence.
“It’s a tough sport played by tough men,” he mentioned. “You can’t be that soft, as simple as it can get. I don’t think there was anything intimidating about it.
“I do not assume we have to make loads of large points about it.”
