"You Haven't Been Tested.."- Aakash Chopra's Message To Rohit Sharma

Former Indian cricketer turned expert analyst Aakash Chopra has suggested India captain Rohit Sharma ahead of the 3rd T2oI against Afghanistan later this evening at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy stadium. Chopra has asked Rohit to bat first in case they win the coin toss as the Men in Blue aim to complete a whitewash tonight.

Aakash Chopra feels that India have not been challenged so far in this series and believes that it is not a good thing given this is the last T20I series before the ICC T20 World Cup begins in the USA and West Indies. The 20-team event is slated to start in June right after the Indian players get off from featuring in IPL 2024, which is slated for a start in March.

After the series conclusion against Afghanistan tonight, India will gear up for red-ball cricket. Rohit Sharma’s men will welcome England for a 5-match Test series starting from January 25 with the 1st Test taking place in Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi stadium.

The series will be a very hectic one as both the teams will have to go through a lot of traveling across the country. After the first 2 Tests in Andhra Pradesh, the Test series will head to Gujarat, Jharkhand, and Himachal Pradesh. So, both the teams will travel a lot and it will be important for them to stay fresh throughout.

There is still a week left for preparation but the Indian contingent’s main task tonight will be to end the first series of 2024 on a high note. With 2 comfortable wins on the trot in Mohali and Indore the M Chinnaswamy, which is known for its batting-friendly nature could witness a run fest.

But according to Aakash Chopra that could happen only if Rohit Sharma and co step out to bat first. India registered back-to-back 6-wicket wins after batting first and Aakash Chopra has stated that if they again choose to bowl after winning the toss then their job will become very easy and will not face any challenges.

“India should do one thing, which they should have probably done consistently. They should bat first if they win the toss in Bengaluru. You want to win the series, there is no doubt about that, but you want to challenge yourself as well. If you keep winning tosses and chase repeatedly, the job becomes easy.” – Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Aakash Chopra Brings Back Memories Of 2022 T20 WC Semi-Final Loss and Asks India To Test Themselves

The 46-year-old cricket pundit asked the Indian team to put themselves into a situation where they could be tested and challenged by Afghanistan. And that can only happen if bowlers are given the task of defending whatever total Indian batters post in the 1st innings.

Aakash Chopra feels that it will help them understand their bowling prowess and also help them avoid another instance of a 10-wicket loss while defending as they suffered during the 2022 T20 WC semi-final against England.

“The opposing team made 150 and 170-odd in the first two matches and you chased them easily. So you haven’t been tested. Then you get stuck one day, like it happened against England in the semi-final (of the 2022 T20 World Cup). You might not win the toss in the World Cup and might have to bat first.” – Chopra concluded.