With India’s regular number three batter Shubman Gill having to sit out with a stiff neck, Virat Kohli walked out in that position after eight years during day two of the first Test of the three-match series against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.
India’s strategy of promoting Kohli to the number three spot failed.
Kohli, who took responsibility for the role after discussions with the team, was dismissed for a duck, and Sarfaraz Khan, batting at number four, followed suit with a cheap dismissal. KL Rahul, batting at number six, also failed to capitalise on his familiarity with the local conditions, being dismissed without scoring.
“The experienced players are the ones who have to take that extra responsibility. It is a good sign. This time, it was Virat. He was the one who was ready to do that. We asked him whether he can bat at number three,” Rohit revealed.
“We wanted to give Sarfraz the position that he usually bats four, five, six maybe. But we didn’t want to change Rishabh and KL (Rahul). Hence, Sarfraz went at four and Virat batted at three,” he said.
Rohit Sharma also admitted to a costly misjudgment of the pitch after India suffered a batting collapse, being bowled out for just 46 runs to record India’s lowest-ever Test score at home and their third-lowest in history.
Speaking after the second day’s play, Rohit reflected on the decision to bat first under overcast conditions, a call that backfired disastrously for the hosts. “We thought it wouldn’t help the seamers much after the first session or so. There wasn’t much grass either. We expected it to be much flatter than it turned out to be. It was a misjudgment on my part, and I couldn’t read the pitch well. I am hurting to see this score of 46 as a captain as it was my call to bat first. But one or two bad calls in a year is quite alright,” Rohit admitted.
“On a pitch where there was assistance for the seamers, and now that we were bowled out for 46, you could say the shot selection wasn’t up to the mark. It was a bad day. Sometimes you plan to do something but fail to execute,” the Indian skipper added.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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