In a touching pre-match press conference, Indian captain Rohit Sharma addressed the media on the eve of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa, a nation where India has yet to secure a Test series victory. Thirty-six days had elapsed since the heart-wrenching night when an Indian captain, head hung low, battled with the weight of defeat. Now, in a different continent, Sharma expressed the significance of the upcoming two-test series.
Rohit Sharma in Pre-Match conference.
“It’s a very important two Test matches in terms of where we stand as a team,” Rohit Sharma emphasized. “We have never won a series here, and that’s a big opportunity in itself. We come to this place with a lot of confidence, aiming to achieve what no one has ever achieved in this part of the world.”
Rohit Sharma acknowledged the skills of India’s seam attack, lauding them as perhaps the greatest of all time. However, he recognized the challenge of filling the shoes of the experienced Mohammed Shami in seaming conditions.
“Shami will be a big miss. His experience and what he has done over the years will be a big miss. Someone will take his place, and it won’t be an easy role, but we have a lot of confidence in the guys who might take his place,” Sharma stated.
Speaking on the difficulties of batting in South Africa, Sharma highlighted it as one of the most challenging places for batsmen. He expressed his eagerness to face the challenge and underscored the importance of converting knowledge into runs.
“Bowlers dominate here because of the bounce and lateral movement,” Sharma explained. “Every day has its own challenge, and as the game goes on, it gets tougher and tougher to bat. It’ll be nice to put our hand up and get the job done for the team.”
Sharma emphasized the need for a run-scoring mindset and cautioned that batters are never truly ‘in’ while batting in these conditions. He stressed the importance of adapting to the bowlers and the conditions.
Addressing KL Rahul’s transformed role, Sharma commended the batter’s adaptability and hinted at his future across formats. “Every cricketer has to go through some transformation or a different role in their career,” Sharma said, praising Rahul’s versatility.
In a moment of candid humor, Sharma expressed a glimmer of desperation for tangible results after coming close to silverware in recent times. “We’ve worked so hard, so we want some results,” Sharma stated with a wry smile. “We hope we can do well in this series. We have all the tools. We’ll try to play with freedom and stay in the moment.”
As the Boxing Day Test beckons, Rohit Sharma’s determination echoes the team’s collective ambition for a historic victory in South Africa, aiming to etch their names in the annals of Indian cricket history.
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