India captain Rohit Sharma said that India would like to keep the winning momentum despite testing the bench strength. He also gave a hint that India will rest some of the key players in the third match, especially those who are a part of the test series as well.
On Saturday, India chased down the target of 184 in just 17.1 overs. Despite India lost both openers cheaply, Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson carried the innings nicely with an 84-run partnership, then at the end, Jadeja finished things off in a hurry with an unbeaten knock of 18-ball 45. Shreyas Iyer was given ‘Player of the Match’ for another terrific knock of 44-ball 74.
Rohit Sharma lauded the efforts of the Indian middle-order who grabbed the opportunity well.
“We’ll sit down tomorrow, see what we can do (on any team changes), we have used 27 players so far, there could be more (laughs). When you win the series, there are guys who haven’t had the opportunities. Some of the guys will have to play Tests, we’ll have to look after everyone. It’s the sign of the times we’re in, it’s fine to look after physically, but it’s the mental thing that’s important as well. At the end of the day, we need to keep winning and keep positive vibes going through in the team,” Rohit Sharma said in the post-match presentation.
“Sanju showed how well he could play”- Rohit Sharma
He heaped praises on Sanju Samson who played a scintillating knock of 25-ball 39 on his comeback innings. He stressed that he would like to give youngsters the freedom to express themselves.
“We have a lot of talent in that batting unit, we will keep giving them the chances, it’s up to them to make the most of it. I thought Sanju showed how well he could play with that knock, it’s all about taking your opportunities. Lot of these guys are quite talented. They just need an opportunity to go out there and express themselves. There are a lot of guys waiting in the wings as well but their time will come as well. We’ve got to look after the guys who have been in and around the team for a while. We understand all these guys possess a lot of talent. So it’s just about giving the opportunity and the backing from our side,” said Rohit.
The third and final match of the series will be played on Sunday. Then the test series will begin on March 4 at Mohali.
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