NEW DELHI: Playing their first Test on South African soil, young batters
Yashasvi Jaiswal
and
Shubman Gill
found it difficult coping with the challenging conditions and had a torrid time in Centurion.
In both the innings Jaiswal and Gill were dismissed cheaply as India succumbed to a heavy innings defeat.
Middle-order batter
Shreyas Iyer
, who was on the last tour to the Rainbow Nation too had a below-par outing as the Proteas took an unassailable lead in the series.
With India now looking to draw level in the two-Test series, skipper
Rohit Sharma
on Tuesday said he wants the young batters to apply themselves and perform and raise their game to the next level.
On the eve of the second Test in Cape Town, Rohit admitted that the likes of Iyer, Jaiswal and Gill are short on experience but have to grind it out against tough opponents like the Proteas to excel in their game.
"Whatever is in front of us, we have to accept it whether it is 2 or 5 Test matches. We have to go and play and play well. Yes these three guys haven't played a lot of cricket but they have been around the team for a number of years now. If you perform well in these conditions, against these kinds of teams, you can take your game to another level.
"When you perform in conditions like these, it gives you a lot of confidence moving ahead in your career. At some stage they have to be exposed to conditions like this, opposition like this, travelling abroad, performing at some stage, they have to do it. We all have done it. I am sure they have learned a lot from the first game and again tomorrow it will be another opportunity for them to understand what is required to play in these conditions. It is challenging and that's what Test cricket is all about," Rohit said.
'Playing first game, we all get nervous'
Debutant Prasidh Krishna had a forgettable outing in Centurion as he managed a solitary wicket and leaked runs but skipper Rohit came out in the pacer's defence, hinting he might get another game despite a nervy first outing.
“I still feel that sometimes we've got a little bit of inexperience in our bowling and sometimes when you have that, you got to show some faith in them. Show trust in them and that can happen to any team. But obviously for us, like I said in the last post match press conference about Prasidh being playing his first game, we all get nervous when you're playing your first game. It's understandable,” Rohit said.
“I'll still back that thought of mine, saying that he's got a good ability to succeed at this level and especially in this format. So it's just about showing faith and trust in everyone and getting the job done from them,” Rohit added
'For me Test cricket is the ultimate challenge'
India skipper Rohit also gave his take on South Africa sending an inexperienced squad for their New Zealand Test series in March. The Cricket Board recently named a 14-player squad for their two-match Test series that included 7 uncapped players, prioritizing their domestic T20 league.
The changes have been imposed due to the SA20 and the Test series being held simultaneously where most of the contracted Test players will feature.
"I mean honestly for me Test cricket is the ultimate challenge and you would want to see the best players playing in that format. Everyone has their own problems to deal with. I am pretty sure there is a reason behind it. I don't know what the reason is.
"Definitely, Test cricket is something where you want to see the best cricket being played. Best and top players being available. I don't know what the internal talks or what the discussions are in Cricket South Africa. But in my perspective a lot of thought should be given to Test cricket because it is the ultimate challenge you face in this sport and we want to be challenged every day," Rohit concluded.
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