Hyderabad: India captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday stated that the team management is focusing on providing opportunities to younger players in the future games ahead of the first Test against England starting from Thursday at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here.
When Virat Kohli decided to skip the first two fixtures of the series against England, there was a discussion about the inclusion of senior pros Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. However. the selection committee preferred to infuse some young blood into the squad and Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar was brought in to replace the star cricketer. It is maiden national call up for Rajat Patidar.
Explaining the reason behind the move, Rohit remarked that he and the team management think that youngsters should get a chance in the roster.
"Look we did think about it (going back to a senior player). But all these younger players, when are they going to get their opportunity? That's something we thought, I thought as well," Rohit said during the pre-match press conference.
Ajinkya Rahane's last test appearance for the national side came in mid-2023 against West Indies at Port of Spain while Cheteshwara Pujara last Test match the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in London.
Reflecting on the decision to exclude the experienced duo, Rohit said that it's an extremely difficult decision to omit senior players from the team but it is vital to bring in some players in the set-up. "Leaving out an experienced player or not considering them is very hard. The amount of runs they've scored, the kind of experience they've had, the amount of games they have won for us, you know, it's very hard to ignore all of that," he added.
"But, you know, you sometimes have to bring certain players into your set-up as well. You have to give them favourable conditions as you don't want to expose them to foreign doors, where they've not played before. So, I think it's important that we try and get some of these youngsters an opportunity," added Rohit Sharma, who plays for Mumbai in the domestic circuit.
"By no means, the doors are closed for anyone, you know, as long as they stay fit and keep scoring runs. Anyone will be welcomed back into the setup," the India skipper quipped.
With the pitches likely to offer assistance for spinners in the series, England has opted for a spin-heavy bowling attack, while the hosts are also likely to play with three frontline spinners. India will be looking to continue their domination at home while England will be aiming to start the series with a win.
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