IND vs AUS | Need to focus on what's in front than thinking too far ahead, advises Rohit Sharma
Rohit made a good looking 44 before he got out to Lyon
|Senior Indian batsman Rohit Sharma has emphasized on the need for India to take one step at a time than think too far ahead. Rohit also added that he has made slight adjustments to his game for this Test as he tried to cover the line and not push his hands too far outside the off-stump.
One of the downsides of fielding first in a Test is the pressure of first innings total that always keeps the team batting second on the edge. It's far more challenging in an away Test as things can start going against a team and very soon, the hosts end up with a comfortable lead going into the third innings. It was the case in the SCG Test as well where India failed with the bat after Australia, for the first time, put in excess of 300 runs on the board in the series. The tourists ended the second day of the final Test at 62 for 2 still trailing by 307 runs, which is an uphill task for a middle-order missing Virat Kohli, Hanuma Vihari and Ravindra Jadeja.Â
However, Indian opener and Test vice-captain Rohit Sharma is quite confident of India's batting doing well. Still, he wants them to approach every session as they come than think too far ahead and not worry about the big score of Australia as he reckons the pitch is quite good to bat.
"We have got solid batters to come in now. Two of the most experienced players are still out there in the middle. The pitch is good and I don't see any reason why we can't get to that total of first innings," Rohit stated in the presser after second day's play, reported TOI.
"We should focus on what's there in front of us rather than thinking too far ahead. It's a big score and we have to focus on sessions, take it as it comes. The pitch is playing good and we have to back ourselves. We have the guys to do it and I don't see why we can bat well on day three," he added.Â
Rohit Sharma who hasn't played much red-ball cricket in a long time and has always been under pressure to prove himself away from home has so far got decent scores of 26, 52 and 44 in the series. He has been able to negate the new Kookaburra ball threat when the ball does the most. The right-hander explained how he made slight technical changes for the Gabba Test given the difference of bounce that it offers in comparison to Sydney. Â
"In Sydney, there wasn't much bounce, so I was staying on leg stump of the ball and here I knew the line and lengths particulary of the two right handers (Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood), they try and test you outside the off-stump all the time.
"So, here, I came a little bit on the off-stump to make sure that I cover the line and don't push my hands outside the off-stump. That's the little adjustment that I did. I was watching the first two Tests and saw the discipline that Aussie bowlers had and you have to try and figure out ways to score runs against these guys. They don't give anything easy."
The veteran Indian batsman also asserted that he has been able to get close to the ball, which has helped him do well thus far.Â
"What has really worked in the first half of my batting is getting closer to the ball and try and leave anything outside the off-stump. And then once I am in, try and play a few shots as well because that's what you want to do, score runs and see how they react when you score runs," he said.
The Gabba Test is nicely poised at the moment and it would be interesting to see how India approach batting on day three which will be crucial in context of the Test and the series.Â
