"He has come through the ranks and succeeded, that's why he's playing for India" - Rohit Sharma on Yashasvi Jaiswal ahead of New Zealand Tests
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma heaped praise on his opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal ahead of the three-match Test series against New Zealand, commencing on October 16 in Bengaluru. The duo have forged quite the chemistry with their ability to play through multiple gears and adapt to the conditions fairly quickly.
Jaiswal has made a promising start to his red-ball career since his debut during the West Indies tour in 2023. His exploits alongside Rohit at the top of the order have played a huge role in India's commanding run in the third cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).
The pair showcased their attacking prowess recently when they laid the foundation for India's famous win against Bangladesh in Kanpur. They brought up the 50-run mark in just three overs as India were forced to get the game going, with two days in Kanpur being washed out due to rain.
"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 attacking prowess may be in demand yet again with a grim forecast being predicted for the first Test in Bengaluru. Team India were forced to call off their practice session on the eve of the contest due to persistent rain, and the next five days could witness a similar situation.
Team India were able to record a win in Kanpur against Bangladesh despite half the match being washed out. The bowlers quickly picked up 20 wickets while the batters also managed to claim a lead despite being out there for only 34.4 overs in the 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 has also echoed a similar sentiment ahead of the series opener. M Chinnaswamy's excellent drainage facilities will be at the fore yet again as India look to claim all possible points available ahead of the Australia tour.
"We will take a call tomorrow morning" - Rohit Sharma on Team India's bowling combination
Team India have persisted with a combination of three seamers and two spinners in their home season so far. The red soil pitch in Chennai and the overcast conditions in Kanpur prompted the decision, and it has paid off so far, with Akash Deep proving to be a handful for the batters.
A similar selection headache is brewing yet again with overcast conditions likely to dominate the first Test. At the same time, the bench comprises of talented 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 surface being under covers, there could be moisture present that the new ball bowlers could take advantage of, tilting the equation towards a pace-oritened bowling unit.