India vs West Indies 2nd Test: Rohit Sharma knows how to handle youngsters, says Ishan Kishan

Team India wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan brought up his maiden half-century off just 33 balls in an effort to score quick runs on the fourth day of the second Test against the West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Kishan heaped praise on his Mumbai Indians teammate and skipper Rohit Sharma and thanked him for providing him with a ‘comfort zone’.

“He is a very experienced captain. He gives his best, how to keep the players in a comfortable position, don’t let the pressure get to the players. In fact, when I came out to bat (in the second innings at Port of Spain), he said, ‘Play your game, plan your innings and don’t think about who said what’,” Ishan Kishan said during the post-match media interaction on Monday.

“It’s a huge plus point for a young player that the captain has faith in you, that I can handle the situation,” he added.

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Got tips from Rishabh Pant in NCA: Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan said that Rishabh Pant, who replaced him in India’s Test squad for the West Indies tour, gave him useful tips during his stay at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Pant is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA after a horrific car accident in December last year.

“He knows me from under-19 days…how I play, how I think, so we keep talking. I tell him what I think he needs to do to improve and it’s the same with him. He also tries to help me and makes sure I give my best on tour. And I am very thankful to him that he gave me some good marks in NCA.

“Obviously, he has done very well in Tests, and the number we bat at… Rishabh bats, it is very important for us to understand the position. If four wickets fall quickly and partnerships are required, then we cannot play such a fast-scoring game. Overall, we have to keep the match in mind… what do we need to do at that time because it is a five-day game and the last day is very important. And, planning and execution is the most important aspect in Test cricket,” said Kishan.

Now #RP17 things ft #ishaankishan , pic.twitter.com/GNBG5UEx7x– Delhi Capitals (@delhicapitals) 24 July 2023

Kishan favors playing Test cricket according to match situation, saying ‘buzzball’ should not become the template for playing every five-day game. Kishan, who made his Test debut on the West Indies tour, scored a T20I-style half-century in the second innings of the drawn second Test here as the call of time was to score quick runs and set a big target for the hosts.

India’s score of 7.54 runs per over on the fourth day of the Second Test (they declared at 181/2 in 24 overs) attracted the attention of experts, who asked Ishan during the post-match press conference whether India would play Test matches in a similar manner in future, like England, whose attacking style of play has been called ‘baseball’.

He said, ‘It is not necessary that you come everyday and start playing fast cricket. It should depend on the situation. The condition of the pitches also plays a role in how quickly one can score runs,” said Kishan, who was promoted up the batting order for scoring quick runs on the fourth day of the second Test.

Kishan hit a 34-ball 52 to set India a winning target of 365 for the West Indies but rain played havoc on the fifth and final day on Sunday, denying India a clean sweep in the two-match series. “Most of the times, where we play, the wickets are not that easy… there is turn and bounce. So, there is no point in playing fast on those surfaces as you need to read the wicket properly.

“If you get a wicket where you can score quick runs and the time demands to do that, then every player in the (Indian) team has the ability to play that role. The kind of players we have and the number of formats and matches we play, everyone knows their role – which game to play in which way. So, personally, I feel, in every match we don’t need to play like this (scoring fast), but it should be situation-based,” he said.