NEWS
Follow UsBatting coach Vikram Rathour said that the Indian batsmen have been putting in the hard yards at nets and will soon start scoring runs on a consistent basis in the ongoing tour of England. There have been some solid individual performances but the Indian batting line-up is yet to click as a unit.
"Not really. Not really," said Rathour, when specifically asked if continuous non-performance of the batters abroad puts him under pressure.
"But of course, we are working hard, it is a unique kind of situation where we are working hard with the players. As long as they are trying their best, working hard or practicing well, results will come. These phases will come," said Rathour.
India were 181/6 in 82 overs, leading by 154 runs, when the stumps were drawn on day four. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane put on 100 runs for the fourth wicket but the other batters failed to fire.
"When you are playing cricket, you will have lean phases as a batsman, so you need to get through them, you need to keep working hard and keep getting your processes right, and as a support staff we are helping them to do that," Rathour said.
"As for added pressure on us, not really, but we do feel concerned if someone is really working hard and he fails. You feel bad, you feel that you know that hard-work is not really paying off.
"But as far as we are concerned with the batters, all of them have absolute faith in them. They will come good and as I said they are having their processes right, they are working really hard in the practice and giving their best. So soon runs will follow."
Rathour also said that Rohit Sharma will have to be a "little more selective" with his shots after the Indian opener once again fell into England's short-ball trap.
"There will be analysis, of course, every time they get out, we will be having a talk, what happened and what they were thinking while batting or while they played that shot," he said.
"As far Rohit is concerned, I think he has made it clear that that is the shot which fetches him runs, that is the shot where he gets runs with, so he is going to play those shots and we are backing him to play those shots, only thing he needs to do is to be a little more selective, with what to play and when to play."
Meanwhile, Indian skipper Virat Kohli got scores 42 and 20 in the second Test but was dismissed in a similar fashion like he did in the first Test and the entire 2014 tour, nicking deliveries way outside off.
"Kohli, I don't think there was any issue, it was just a lapse in concentration today, where his bat went to the ball, which he shouldn't have played and nothing more, I don't think anything old (is) coming back," the batting coach said.
Rathour also said that India would try to get close to that 200-run mark on day five and then make a game out of it.
"You are right, this will be a typical fifth day wicket of a Test match, where the ball will go up and down and is also turning, like we saw. So, again like I said earlier, if we can take the target near 200 runs, then it won't be easy for England," he said.
"Like (Ravindra) Jadeja bowled in the first innings, he was accurate, if he gets turn from there, he can create problems for the batsmen, and our pace attack is bowling well.
"If the ball stays up and down, like we are seeing, when the ball is hard, then, if we can add 30-40 runs more and take 1-2 early England wickets, then there will be pressure on them."
There was also an incident that took place in the 34th over when two England players stepped on the ball with their spikes but Rathour said it didn't look deliberate. "Not really, we were sitting outside so we hardly saw those replays. I saw it later, it does not look anything deliberate. I think it was accidental, we did not think anything about it actually."