3 top takeaways from Rohit Sharma's press conference after India's big loss in 2nd BGT 2024-25 Test
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma stepping out to address the post-match press conference has become a common sight in the side's shaky red-ball run. His comments during the New Zealand series made the entire endeavor a futile one, but he braced himself for some scathing questions yet again after the Men in Blue were humbled in Adelaide.
All of India's morale boost from the 295-run win in Perth was depleted as Australia made the pink ball talk to win the second Test by 10 wickets and level the five-match series 1-1. The visitors struggled to keep up with Australia's unmatched prowess with the pink ball, and were skittled out for 180 and 175 in the first and the second innings, respectively.
The bowlers also did not fare well, being on the receiving end of a Travis Head masterclass yet again. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj bagged four wickets apiece, but could not prevent from Australia posting 337 on the board, giving them a healthy lead which made the entire difference in the match.
Understandably, Rohit Sharma was bombarded with questions regarding the team's dismal outing and the plans for the remainder of the series by the media. On that note, let us take a look at three top takeaways from Rohit's press conference after India's big loss in the second BGT 2024-25 Test.
#1 Mohammed Shami's potentially featuring in the final two Tests
Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami was already a sore miss ahead of the series, but Harshit Rana's concerning bowling display in the second Test has made Indian fans even more desperate for his services. Especially, when the Bengal seamer is bowling full flow with the white ball in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
With rumors escalating regarding his potential participation in the later half of the series, Rohit Sharma clarified that he is still being monitored, and is in consideration for the business end of the tour.
"We are just monitoring him because while playing Syed Mushtaq Ali, he got some swelling in his knee, which hampers his preparation to come and play a Test match. We want to be very careful, we don't want to bring him here, he pulls up sore or something happens," Rohit Sharma said during the post-match press conference (via ESPN Cricinfo).
"We want to be more than 100% sure with him because it has been a long time. We don't want to put pressure on him to come here and do the job for the team. There are some professionals monitoring, we will take a call based on what those guys feel. They are the ones watching him every game, how he pulls up after the game, after bowling four overs, standing for 20 overs. But the door is open for him to come and play anytime," he added.
While India still have Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna in their squad, with both impressing in the warm-up contests, having Shami, with his prowess and experience on board, could be the catalyst India might need to have the final say.
#2 Not being good enough with the bat
In extension to what he said in the post-match presentation, Rohit Sharma emphasized the poor display with the bat. None of the Indian batters recorded a fifty, with all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy emerging as the top scorer across both innings, which makes it an alarming sign for the top and the middle order.
The Indian batting unit was already under heavy scrutiny after their dismal performances against New Zealand at home. However, the expectation was that there might be a touch of improvement with the notorious rank turners taken out of the equation.
"We were 30-40 short with the bat in the first innings. We failed to take chances when Australia were batting. We knew we had to play pink ball in Australia. We weren't good enough with the bat," Rohit said (via RevSportz).
India do not have a chance in the series unless their batters step up on a consistent basis. Rohit Sharma himself had a nightmarish return after failing to record double figures on both occasions in the Test.
#3 Over-reliance on Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj's aggression
The entire nation skipped a beat when Jasprit Bumrah pulled up while bowling on Day 2, and while it was nothing serious, it came across as an ominous sign. The pacer had to play the entire home season earlier, barring the series finale against New Zealand. He has put in some big shifts, and the primary reason behind this is the lack of support from other bowlers.
The spearhead has had to deliver to drag India back into the game, and Rohit Sharma admitted that the rest of the bowling unit needs to step up for the cause.
"Look, it’s a great thing to have someone like Bumrah, but he is not going to be the only one who is going to do the job all the time. Bumrah will not get wickets at times. And the other guys need to step in," Rohit Sharma said (via India Today).
"I keep talking to him during his spells, ask him how his body has been holding up. It’s a five-Test series and we want Bumrah to be fresh and play all the five Test matches. It’s important to analyse these things, the workload management is important. You can’t expect Bumrah to bowl from both ends, from morning to evening," he added.
One of the key highlights of the contest, apart from all of the action that transpired from a cricketing point of view, was the saga surrounding Mohammed Siraj and Travis Head. The right-arm pacer had several bursts of aggression in the Test, where he threw the ball at the batter, and launched several verbal assaults.
Rohit Sharma defended Siraj's aggression and admitted that things would be fine until the line is not crossed.
"As the captain, it's my job to back that aggression. Obviously, there's a fine line-we don't want to cross anything that disrespects the game. But having a word or two with the opposition is not a bad thing. He likes it, and it gets him going. In the past, we've seen many cricketers thrive in such battles, and Siraj is definitely one of them," Rohit added.
The third Test between India and Australia is scheduled to commence from Saturday, December 14, onwards.