India captain Rohit Sharma has explained why his team did not play first-class practice matches following their humiliating defeat against South Africa at Centurion. Proteas’ side defeated India by an innings and 32 runs, thereby putting an end to India’s hopes of capturing their final frontier in Test cricket.
Team India suffered a humiliating defeat against South Africa at Centurion, losing by an innings and 32 runs. The team was criticized for their unpreparedness as their performance with bat and ball was below par. Rohit Sharma faced criticism for his ineffective bowling changes and poor batting performance.
During the post-match press conference, Rohit Sharma defended the team’s decision not to play first-class practice matches. He explained that the wickets used for practice matches are different from the ones used in the series, and the pitch offered for practice games is not the same as the one offered for international matches.
“We have been playing practice matches in the last 4-5 years. We also tried to play first-class matches. The wicket that you get in the matches, you won’t get that in the practice matches. It is better that we prepare according to our requirements, we prepare the pitch according to our requirements. We can have control of the ground.”
“When we went to Australia the last time when we played in South Africa in 2018, the ball didn’t bounce beyond the knee-roll on practice pitches. But here, the ball flies over your head. So, all these things were considered and we decided to prepare according to our own style,” Rohit Sharma said.
The Men In Blue can now only tie the series if they win the next Test in Cape Town, as a Test series triumph in South Africa remains a pipe dream. India were bowled out for just 131 runs in 34.1 overs, with Virat Kohli scoring 76, since none of the other Indian batters contributed much.
We Have Experienced That In The Last Two Or Three Practice Matches – Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma stated that the bowlers they face during practice matches bowl around 120-125 kmph, which is considerably different from the bowlers they will face later in the series and revealed that it is the reason behind the team choosing to face their players in the practice session.
“If you get the conditions in a practice match that would be similar to the ones in the Tests, then it’s fine. Bowlers also, we get pacers who bowl 120-125 kph. We have experienced that in the last two or three practice matches. It’s better we face our own bowlers and prepare the pitch according to our will,” Rohit Sharma added.
India were bowled out in less than 35 overs, with only two batters reaching double figures. Rohit Sharma-led side will attempt to even the series in the second Test. The series’ second and final Test is slated for 3 January at Newlands in Cape Town.