"Indian openers were seen coming a little out of their shells" - Inzamam-ul-Haq lauds Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul's approach
Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq praised the refreshing approach showed by the Indian openers despite facing a lead of 99 runs. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul survived the opening burst by the English bowlers that lasted half a session to end the day without any casualties.
Inzamam reckoned that the discussion of playing positive cricket must have been considered in the dressing room prior to the innings. He also noted how the players are utilizing loose deliveries to their advantage. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Inzamam said:
"The Indian openers, who were in a shell before this, were seen coming a little out of it. A lead of 100 runs is not small on this surface, but inspite of that, I feel that the talk has been done in the dressig room to play more positive cricket. It's not that they scored at a very quick rate but their body language shows to not spare any loose balls," Inzamam opined
"Looking at the batting of Rohit Sharma and Rahul, it seemed like they will score off deliveries in their range. India have not scored that many runs, but it is the right thinking and approach."
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul played out 16 overs to close out Day 2 of the fourth Test at The Oval. The duo showed a blend of caution and intent by respecting the good deliveries and duly punishing the loose ones.
Virat's batting will be very crucial: Inzamam-ul-Haq
Inzamam noted that India will have a very good chance of taking the driver's seat in the Test match if they succeed in batting the entirety of Day 3. For that to happen, the former batsman believes Virat Kohli will have to play well. Virat Kohli is slowly getting into his groove and has now scored two fifties on the trot. Inzamam added:
"Virat's batting will be very crucial. It's obvious that he is the main player of the Indian team, he's world class. So when the opposition team takes his wicket, they get their morale up. It is important for Virat to score on Day 3, since the team needs it as well, it is also the requirement of captaincy. Kohli is a stroke player, he has to play strokes for the bowlers to be under pressure."
Earlier, the lower order batting frustrated India as England edged out with a healthy lead. India will resume Day 3 with all ten of their 10 wickets intact. Rohit Sharma will take the crease alongside KL Rahul at the other end.