Rohit Sharma Deserves a Longer Run in Test Cricket: Sandeep Patil

Gautam Gambhir, the former Test opening batsmen who has been among runs in Duleep Trophy or Manish Pandey who is batting superbly on the India A tour of Australia, might consider themselves unlucky not to make the cut considering that Shikhar Dhawan has been in indifferent form of late.

“I think it’s a huge component of playing cricket overseas”.

“And they are abrasive and they lose their shine very quickly – you need to find another way”.

Hesson conceded it would be a different ball game for his side, literally.

“There are many different methods [of getting the ball to reverse] and we certainly are going to have to be working on that over the coming days”.

Earlier, the possibility of having a pink-ball Test between India and New Zealand was discussed, before the Board of Control for Cricket in India stated that idea was rejected by their counterparts. Kane Williamson, the young New Zealand captain and one of the world’s top batsmen, knows it well.

Bangladesh will also play their maiden test in India next year. “I certainly believe he is a very important player for us and he will play at No. 3, and for us to be successful, he is important to us in the short term and long term as well”.

The first Test to be played between India and New Zealand from 22nd September at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur will be the country’s 500th Test match in its 84-year of history.

Hesson said playing on the dry pitches of Bulawayo during the Zimbabwe tour was a useful preparatory exercise ahead of the India series.

The meeting was chaired by BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke with Test skipper Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble in attendance.

“Virat’s a great player and his ability to dominate attacks through all three formats is very special”. All of us are different players, have different strengths. Trying to stick to his own gameplan. He hasn’t had a long run in Test cricket.

“I am enjoying the challenge”.

Against the Windies, Virat’s captaincy was under more focus than his batting.

Apart from the duo, selecting rest of the batsmen was a formality. “It’s a slightly separate thing”.

Also, Williamson then spent good 15 minutes practising the sweep shots.

“There are a lot of good players in the Indian team whom we will have to look out for”. As a cricketer, you do face this challenge. No doubt those experiences help. That would come on the morning of the first Test. We take every series seriously. “We have to take that into account”, said Williamson. “Spin for both teams will play a big part”, he conceded.

It is learnt that the team-management has requested for the squad to be kept short – 13 – as it is a home series and players could be called in at short notice.