"The more matches you play, the more you gain confidence." © Getty
Talismanic opener Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the upcoming home Test series against England with an injury to his right upper quadricep tendon. He may be out of action for the next 12 weeks, but he was present at a launch in Mumbai. In an exclusive interaction with TOI, reveals what makes India the No. 1 Test team in the world.
EXCERPTS
You've somehow had bad timing as far as injuries are concerned.Even your Test debut was postponed in 2010. With England here, it would've been a great challenge for you. How disappointed are you?
Yes obviously it's very disappointing. I don't want to think too much about it because there's nothing much I can do. It's not like this is the end of my career. But yes, the timing of the injury was unfortunate.
You scored 70 against New Zealand in Vizag at more than a run a ball when others were struggling. Often you come up with such knocks ...
I did what I like to do at the top of the order. I want to be a destructive opener who wants to give a flying start to the team. But see again, the kind of shots I play, I will have those failures.I'm working on being consistent to get the team through all the time. People outside have a lot of expectations, but the most important thing is what the team wants. My main right now is to be consistent in all formats.
Your batting position doesn't always allow you the opportunity to score tons. Does it bother you?
Sometimes yes, maybe. Because sometimes you see the team has scored enough and they want to declare. So you have to play your shots and make sure you reach the target that your team needs. Having said that, it doesn't mean that there's no opportunity to score a century. We've got good lower middle-order batsmen like Saha, R Ashwin and Jadeja. That means I don't have to score my runs quickly and can play with ease.
India's batting line-up gradually seems to be settling down...
Our batting line-up at the moment has pretty much settled in the Test arena. If you spoke to me about this two or three years ago when guys like Sachin and VVS retired and then we came and took their place, I would have given a different answer. But now we've got a hang of Test matches. So there's no excuse anymore that we are a young team and so on. We've played more than 20 Tests in 2-3 years and the guys have gained enough confidence.
A year full of demanding Test assignments at home is awaited. Do you believe a season like this will help a young team gain in confidence as they prepare for overseas challenges in future?
Absolutely. The more matches you play, the more you gain confidence. But playing outside India is a different ball game altogether. Everything is so different there. I think India never had such a season playing 13 Test matches at home in a 7-month period. So it's bound to be a big plus.
You've played with Hardik Pandya for Mumbai Indians and as well as in the shorter formats at the international level. What's your view of him?
He's got everything that one needs to be playing at this level.He's got the ingredients to be a successful all-rounder. But it's a long way ahead. I hope he keeps his focus right. You know, he's a very confident human being. He doesn't worry too much what is happening outside. It helps him to focus on things.
Lastly what influence does Virat Kohli have as a captain?
I think he's someone who believes in pushing and backing players. It's what MS Dhoni used to do. I think every captain would want a player to have good run and settle down. His influence on the team, and not just me, is great. If your captain is on your side and gives you freedom then that's all that matters. He's still new to captaincy so it's going to take him some time to settle.
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