Follow UsRohit Sharma couldn’t have asked for a better start to his captaincy tenure. India haven’t lost a single game since Rohit has been appointed as the all-format captain. They hammered New Zealand and West Indies and then also whitewashed Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series. It felt like the Dimuth Karunaratne-led side would put up a better fight in the Test series but they were no match to India. The hosts won the first Test by an innings and 222 runs and then completed the whitewash by winning the second encounter in Bangalore by 238 runs.
Rohit was mighty pleased with the way his team performed in this home season and also praised the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and R Ashwin. “It's been a good run, enjoyed it personally and as a team, there were so many things we wanted to achieve and I think we did,” he said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
“No doubt about it (on Jadeja), we have seen him grow as a batter, he seems to be getting better and better, at 7, he strengthens the batting, and he's a complete package, with his fielding and bowling, brings a lot to the team. He has just carried on from the T20s (on Iyer), he didn't get out there a single time and he's carried it into the Tests. He knew he was replacing Pujara and Rahane, big boots to fill, but he's obviously doing it really well.
“He seems to get better in every Test, especially in these conditions (on Rishabh Pant). The England series (at home) was challenging, but looks like the confidence is back, with his catches and stumpings. It was kind of him to say that (on Ashwin), but it was my feeling (about being the best bowler), he does something for the team whenever he's given the ball, gives a match-winning performance every time he's given the ball, so I think he's a legend of the game. Comes up with the goods every time the ball is handed to him.”
It was Iyer who was named player of the match. The right-handed middle-order batter smashed 92 off 98 in the first innings and then followed it up with a score of 67 in the second essay. With the surface offering a lot of assistance to the bowlers, Iyer played an aggressive brand of cricket, smoking 19 fours and four maximums in the game. "That wasn't my normal approach, but I saw the batters struggling, so I knew I had to be attacking and put the pressure back on the bowlers,” said Iyer.
"I could have got out earlier as well, so I didn't worry about the hundred. I just wanted to bat as many balls as possible (in the second innings), and knew that I had some support down the order with Shami and Bumrah. I have always dreamt about playing Test cricket for India, good feeling to come and contribute, want to keep this going."
Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batter Pant was named player of the series. The left-handed batter scored 185 runs in three innings and he did that at a strike rate of 120.12. Pant smoked a fifty off just 28 deliveries in the second innings of the second Test - the fastest half-century by an Indian in this format. On top of that, Pant was also superb behind the stumps.
“I think both (batting and keeping), you need to keep evolving, I've made mistakes in the past and want to keep improving. It's not in my mindset, the wicket was difficult to play, so I thought I will look for quick runs. I'll do whatever the team management wants me to do (on batting at number five). I think it's more about confidence, previously, I used to think too much, now I'm only focusing on every ball (referring to his improved keeping skills),” said Pant.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan captain Karunaratne scored a stunning century in the fourth innings but Sri Lanka failed to compete as a unit. "I would have been more happier if we had won, but it was a tough one, we batted under lights and it was tough. But I have worked hard on my batting," he said.
"We have a good team, the batting didn't capitalize on these conditions, the bowling was good, but we kept bowling loose deliveries every now and then, that's what we need to work on going further. There have been several youngsters coming up and this was an experience for them."