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With two and a half days lost due to weather conditions, India captain Rohit Sharma knew that adopting a T20-style batting approach was India's only chance to secure a victory. The task was daunting; aggressive batting came with the risk of losing quick wickets, which could have handed the advantage to Bangladesh, who had posted 233 runs in their first innings.
"We had to take risks to get a result. I knew the outcome could go either way, but I was ready for it, as were the coach and the other players. You have to be brave enough to make those decisions and play that way. When things go well, everything looks good, but it can change very quickly when things don't. In that case, everyone would have started criticising the decisions we made. But what matters is what we think inside this changing room, and that's what counts," Rohit said in an interview with BCCI.TV, released on Wednesday. Rohit Sharma, who hit the first ball he faced for six by charging down the pitch against Bangladesh pacer Nahid Rana, explained the team's clear plan to push for a result despite the rain and wet outfield. "It was a clear plan that we wanted a result. How we achieved that... everyone started finding answers to that," Rohit added. Rohit emphasised the collective willingness of the team, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, to take this calculated risk. He also acknowledged the crucial contributions of bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja. Bangladesh, resuming on 107/3 on Day 4, were bowled out for 233, thanks to the efforts of the Indian bowlers. "Without the help of the other 10 players and, of course, those in the dressing room, this wouldn't have been possible. When you lose two and a half days, it's easy for everyone to lose focus on the goal of winning this Test. But when we arrived on Day 4 needing 7 wickets, the bowlers set the tone. They got the breakthroughs we needed," Rohit said. Setting the tone for India's innings, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal recorded the fastest 50-run opening stand in Test history, reaching the milestone in just 18 balls. While everything seemed perfect as plans fell into place, Rohit noted the team was fully aware of the potential consequences had their aggressive approach not succeeded. (ANI)
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