In a thrilling encounter marred by rain on the final day, India secured a Test series victory against West Indies, winning the two-match series 1-0. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma lauded the contrasting yet fantastic performances of Ishan Kishan and Virat Kohli with the bat, emphasizing the importance of having players who can stabilize the innings and provide quick runs.
In the post-match presentation, Rohit Sharma expressed his satisfaction with the team’s depth and variety, which played a crucial role in securing the series win. Ishan Kishan’s fearless approach, promoted for quick runs, and Virat Kohli’s masterful innings exemplified the team’s versatility. “You need a mixture of everything. We have depth, we have got variety. We are in the right place. It is about getting the job done,” Rohit stated.
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“You need guys like Ishan (Kishan). We wanted quick runs, we promoted him, he was not afraid. He was the first one to put his hand up. In Test matches, you need guys who stabilise the innings like what Virat (Kohli) did, he played superbly. You need a mixture of everything. We have depth, we have got variety. We are in the right place. It is about getting the job done. I always believe in getting better as a team. I said after the World Test Championship final as well,” said Rohit in the post-match presentation.
“Every win is different. Playing in WI has its own challenge. Happy with the way things went. We gave it a good shot, unfortunately, we could not get any play today. We actually went out with a positive intent yesterday. The rain had its final say. We were quite confident. You know how difficult it is batting last. We always wanted that kind of score where we wanted the opposition to go for it. There was not much on the surface. No play today, unfortunate for us,” he said.
Despite the disappointment of the final day being washed out by rain, Rohit Sharma remained positive about the team’s performance throughout the series, particularly in difficult conditions in the West Indies. The skipper mentioned his team’s consistent cricket and emphasized the focus on improving all aspects of the game, including fielding, bowling under pressure, and batting in challenging conditions.
Rohit Sharma reserved special praise for Mohammed Siraj, who was named the ‘Player of the Match’ for his exceptional performance leading the bowling attack. “He has taken such a giant step,” Rohit remarked, highlighting the importance of every member of the pace battery taking responsibility and stepping up when needed.
In the thrilling second Test held in Port of Spain, India set a formidable target of 365 runs for West Indies to win the match. However, the final day’s play was truncated due to rain, resulting in the match ending in a draw. Despite the weather interruption, both teams displayed commendable performances throughout the series.
India’s first innings total of 438 was built on the strong foundation laid by Virat Kohli’s century (121) and significant contributions from Rohit Sharma (80), Yashasvi Jaiswal (57), Ravindra Jadeja (61), and Ravichandran Ashwin (56). West Indies’ Kraigg Braithwaite top-scored for his team with a resilient 75.
The visitors’ declaration in the second innings at 181/2 saw Ishan Kishan’s explosive knock of 52* in just 34 balls, along with valuable contributions from Shubman Gill (29*). India’s aggressive approach allowed them to cross the 100-run mark in just 12.2 overs, the fastest in Test cricket’s history.