NEW DELHI: Former India coach Ravi Shastri expressed his dissatisfaction with Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, criticising it as overly defensive on the second day of the second Test against New Zealand in Pune on Friday.
During the second session of Day 2, Shastri and former India spinner Murali Kartik engaged in a detailed discussion about Rohit’s tactics.
Kartik noted that the New Zealand batters had effectively pushed the Indian fielders back, leaving no one close to the bat. At that moment, Tom Latham and Will Young were batting aggressively, prompting Rohit to spread the field to contain their scoring.
Shastri pointed out that with India conceding a lead of over 100 runs, they needed to bowl out New Zealand for just 120. He emphasized that an attacking field was essential and criticized the strategy of spreading the field as soon as a bowler conceded a few runs.
“New Zealand have managed to scatter away all the men around the bat,” Kartik highlighted.
“Also tells you, tactically, how you should be thinking. India should be thinking how to bowl out New Zealand for 120. For that to happen, you need to think about wickets, you need people in attacking positions. Yes, if the side gets to 60 for no loss, you can start to think differently. It also makes the bowler think that he wants wickets, not with a spread out field like this,” Shastri reckoned.
New Zealand were in sight of a historic series win in India after spinner Mitchell Santner took 7-53 to help bowl out the hosts cheaply. A stunned India fell to 156 all out in their reply, gifting the visitors a first-innings lead of 103 on a turning Pune pitch.
New Zealand, who have never won a Test series in India and lead the three-match series 1-0, were 198-5 at stumps in their second knock, a lead of 301, after skipper Tom Latham hit 86.
