"He was not taking potshots at anyone" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma saying players who don't have that hunger won't be considered for Tests
Aakash Chopra reckons Rohit Sharma wasn't hinting at any particular players when he said that only those who have the hunger for Test cricket will be given opportunities in the format.
India beat England by five wickets in the fourth Test in Ranchi on Monday to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. In the post-match press conference, Rohit spoke about the hunger required to succeed and excel in the longest format.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra reflected on some of the post-match comments from both captains. Referring to Rohit's statement, he said (1:10):
"Rohit Sharma has said that this is the toughest format and if you have to succeed in that, you need a lot of discipline and dedication. He also said that it's evident if someone does not have that hunger, but he was not hinting at anyone."
"If you hear his entire bite until the end, he also said that there is no one within the playing group or outside who is saying that they don't want to play. So he was not taking potshots at anyone," the former India opener added.
Chopra noted that what Rohit said was 110 percent correct. However, he opined that Indian cricket is in a fairly decent space as they have a plethora of committed senior and junior players.
"Is everything Bazball?" - Aakash Chopra on the English media overhyping Bazball
Aakash Chopra questioned the English media for attributing everything to Bazball.
"Stokes is saying that no one had given them a chance and that they did a great job reaching here. Someone also said that adapting to the situation is Bazball's theory. Is everything Bazball? I am not saying the team is saying that but the English media becomes overactive," he stated (7:40).
The cricketer-turned-commentator urged England to look into their middle-order issues, elaborating:
"I would say have a little realization that you had many opportunities to be at par or go ahead in this series. Your middle order doesn't turn up at all. The middle order is a disorder. If they do an honest assessment, they will find that the middle-order batters' performance has been extremely ordinary."
Chopra observed that England frittered away advantageous positions in both Ranchi and Rajkot. He pointed out that while their batters failed to make the most of a 46-run first-innings lead in Ranchi, Joe Root's dismissal while attempting a reverse scoop in Rajkot led to a collapse.