Rohit Sharma believes India will have to “get together” quickly before the first Test, beginning in Auckland on February 6.
Rohit said, “We travel tomorrow, so there will be no practice on Tuesday. Then we have just a day before the Test. MS (Dhoni) and Virat (Kohli) were not here and we need to have a good session with the entire team on the day before the Test.”
He felt the schedule was hectic but added, “We have to accept what is in front of us. Mentally, everybody is ready. Luckily, there have been no injuries.”
He said India made most of the opportunity in the two-day game. “Both the batsmen and the bowlers got what they wanted. Most of our batsmen spent time in the middle. And all the bowlers bowled close to 15 overs or more.”
Rohit said the team was aware of the demands during the Test series. “This is a young team. A lot of our players have come to New Zealand for the first time. They need to learn what length to bowl here, what shots to play in these conditions. We know it will be a challenge for us on these pitches. But everyone in this team is ready to go and take the field on February 6,” he said.
Asked to pick a bowler from the match, Rohit replied, “I think Ishwar Pandey bowled very well.” The paceman scalped three on day one.
New Zealand XI captain Anton Devcich was pleased with the performance of his team. “All the boys are young. It’s a learning curve for them. This was a valuable experience against the Indian team.”
