Ind vs Eng, 4th Test: After BCCI warning to players, Rohit Sharma issues whip on Tests

This is toughest format, only those with hunger will get preference, says skipper
RANCHI: India’s series win here on Monday was followed by some tough love from captain Rohit Sharma, who said he had glimpsed some future Test regulars and liked the way they were shaping up but there would be no wriggle room for those who play truant from the longest format.

“This is the toughest format. If you want success and want to excel in this tough format, you need that hunger. That is very important. We will give opportunities only to players who have that hunger. We get to know the players who have it, and those who don’t want to stay here. Players who have that hunger, who want to stay here and perform in tough conditions, we will give preference to them. No point playing those who are lacking in this.”

Rohit’s stern message follows BCCI secretary Jay Shah’s warning that players who skip first-class cricket to prepare for the IPL would face “severe implications”.

Some of the new recruits for the ongoing series against England, like Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan and Akash Deep, were only third or fourth-choice picks.

India have been hit not only by the absence of key frontline performers like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Mohammed Shami in this series but there are also suggestions that some players may be prioritizing the upcoming IPL over Test or Ranji Trophy duty.

Though Rohit did not take names, one can cite the example of Ishan Kishan. Kishan pulled out of the Test series in South Africa there have been suggestions he wasn’t happy sitting on the bench and has since been training for the IPL and is due to play an IPL preparatory tournament. Shreyas Iyer struggled against England and pulled out with an old injury, which reportedly hasn’t gone down well with the BCCI.

Rohit didn’t mince words when it came to addressing the IPL-sized elephant in the room. “IPL is for us no doubt a good format. But Test cricket is the most difficult format. To perform and to win here is not easy. In this series, the three wins we got were hard work.”

On whether the hunger to play Tests was lacking among the younger crop of players, Rohit said, “I don’t see anybody who lacks the hunger. All these guys who are here and not here want to play. We all went through periods where you have limited opportunities and if you don’t grab your chance, it goes away..”

In Ranchi, the Indian team’s total Test caps were 294 compared to England’s 668, but the likes of Jurel stood up to be counted. “A lot of these guys are quite young and you’ll see them playing Tests regularly in the next 5-10 years. The way they have come and taken the responsibility, tried to embrace the dressing-room culture, tried to deal with pressure, they have been impressive. My job and Rahul bhai’s job (Dravid) is to make sure we give them the environment they want to be in.”

To make his point, Rohit singled Jurel out for praise. “Dhruv Jurel showed solid composure, calmness as well. The first-innings 90 was crucial for us to get close to England. In the second innings he showed a lot of maturity. A lot of these guys are quite grounded.”