With the Eden Gardens in Kolkata set to host its first maiden day-night Test match later this month after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) accepted BCCI’s request to play with the pink ball, India’s new Test opener Rohit Sharma think of it as a “new experience” for the team.
For most of the last few years, Indian management has avoided playing day-night Tests. This is when Australia and New Zealand played the first Test with pink ball four years ago at the Adelaide Oval.
“It would be really exciting. It’s happening for the first time in India that we are playing with the pink ball. I have played one match with the pink ball in Duleep Trophy and it was a good experience. It was a new experience. I think we would experience the same in Kolkata. We have waited for a long time to play with the pink ball and the wait has finally ended. We will try to perform well and get those 60 points,” Rohit said on the sidelines of Trusox event here.
In the last series against the West Indies, Rohit Sharma was tested at the opening slot after string of poor performances by K.L. Rahul. Rohit went way beyond everyone’s expectations with confident stroke plays and centuries, amassing 500 plus runs in the series.
“I will keep trying till I am playing the game. I don’t see myself stopping after doing the hard work all these years. It is our duty to keep playing and performing. We have series coming up against Bangladesh, West Indies and New Zealand. We are thinking about Bangladesh at the moment,” he said.
For the upcoming T-20 series against Bangladesh, Rohit will lead the side as team’s regular captain, Virat Kohli, has been rested as part of workload management.
Asked if it bothers him to lead the side just for a few matches, Rohit expressed gratitude and sees this as an opportunity and “honour”.
“Everyone knows that it’s not in our hands. It’s an honour to lead the side even if it’s for 1, 10 or 100 matches. We dreamt of playing for India during our childhood days but no one ever thought of captaining the team. But I have got the opportunity to lead Team India. It’s a huge honour.
“I had led the side before and it’s been a good experience so far. I don’t ponder over the idea that it might be for a single series. It’s not in my hands and I can’t think and talk about it. I always welcome every opportunity I get for the team. I try to set an example,” the swashbuckling batsman said.
The discussion then digressed towards Sourav Ganguly as the new head of BCCI. Speaking on “Dada”, as he is fondly called, the 32-year-old batsman said, “We talked about selection issues. I have known Dada for so many years. I have played with him as well when I had just come into the team. It was great to catch up with him this time.”
When The Sunday Guardian asked him for his views on Shakib Al Hasan’s episode, Rohit refrained from commenting.
“I am not ICC,” he said.