“Was quite disappointed with my dismissal in the last Test” - Rohit Sharma admits he missed out on converting ton into big score
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has admitted that he was disappointed with the manner in which he got out in the Dominica Test, knowing there was a big hundred for the taking. He, however, asserted that he has put the dismissal behind him and is looking forward to starting afresh in the second Test in Trinidad.
Rohit and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal (171) added 229 runs for the opening wicket in the first Test in Dominica. The Indian captain scored a hard-fought 103 off 221 balls but was dismissed immediately after crossing three figures.
The disappointment was writ large on his face as he walked back to the pavilion after being caught by the keeper of Alick Athanaze’s bowling.
Reflecting on his dismissal at a press conference ahead of the second Test, Rohit said:
“Whenever you get out, you are disappointed. I was quite disappointed with my dismissal in the last Test because I was batting well. My concentration was good for a long period. It was a good opportunity to notch up a big score.”
The batter, however, was quick to add:
“I regretted it at that point, but my focus is now on what I can change going ahead.”
The second Test, which begins at Port of Spain on Thursday, July 20, will be a historic one as it would mark the 100th red-ball encounter between India and West Indies.
Admitting that it would be a big occasion, Rohit commented:
“Obviously, there has been so much history between the two teams. It has been happening even before I was born, so that shows the long history. Both teams have played good cricket and have entertained people. I hope this Test match is also like that."
Describing leading the Indian side on the historic occasion as an honor, he added:
“Such kind of games don’t happen every day. I am fortunate, so is our team, to be playing this game. I am pretty sure the team [West Indies] is going to bounce back. It’s going to be exciting for both the countries.”
Happy faces in Trinidad 👋 😊
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India beat West Indies by an innings and 141 runs in the first Test in Dominica.
“As long as I don’t know the inside story, I cannot give an opinion” - Rohit on West Indies’ downfall
West Indies’ downfall as a cricketing nation has been one of the big talking points in recent weeks after they failed to qualify for the ODI World Cup.
Asked for his views on the same, Rohit replied that he doesn’t know the inside details of the issue and hence wouldn’t be the right person to comment.
“As a fan, all I can say is, as long as I don’t know the inside story, I cannot give an opinion on what the problem is. Having played against the West Indian team, what I can say is that they have good players and there is quite a lot of talent. In fact, in the first Test, if their spinners were available, they could have posed a threat, because there was lot of spin and bounce on the surface,” he said.
On whether India have finalized their playing XI for the second Test, Rohit stated that they are not sure of their combination yet owing to weather conditions.
“At Dominica, we were clear about the conditions, but here we don’t have much clarity. There is a lot of talk about rain as well. I don’t think there will be any drastic changes. We’ll make a decision keeping conditions in mind,” the Indian skipper added.
After the Test series, India will take on West Indies in three ODIs and five T20Is.