"Rohit Sharma Is Not An Instinctive Captain.."- Ravi Shastri

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has credited Rohit Sharma’s captaincy as one of the major reasons behind the bowlers’ stellar show in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

India’s bowling has emerged as a major highlight in the ongoing tournament. Despite conditions widely considered ideal for batting, India’s bowlers have made life extremely difficult for the opposition. In a competition where teams are scoring runs for fun, not a single team has managed to score more than 273 against India.

In the last three games, India bowled out England, Sri Lanka, and South Africa for paltry totals of 129, 55, and 83 runs. The likes of Australia and Pakistan could not touch the 200-run mark against India either. New Zealand’s 273-run total is the highest total by any team against India in the ongoing competition.

Ravi Shastri hails Rohit Sharma:

With India’s bowlers performing extremely well in the ongoing World Cup, Ravi Shastri has credited Rohit Sharma’s captaincy for their display. In a conversation with Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan on the Club Prairie Fire show, Ravi Shastri stated that the variety and the ability to adapt to any conditions quickly are the reasons behind the dominance of the Indian attack.

“It is the best attack that I have seen in 50 years, ever since white-ball cricket started. And its all because of the variety. You have Bumrah who is a freak, then you have Shami who is a master when it comes to seam position and then Siraj, who is feisty, can get under your skin, and is a slippery character.

You also have Jadeja, who is at the peak of his prowess, and Kuldeep, who has improved leaps and bounds. So when you look at that attack, it has every box ticked for every condition. They have the skillset and experience to adapt to every condition and that is where they have improved since the last World Cup,” he said.

Gilchrist then asked Ravi Shastri about who controls the bowling attack. In reply, Ravi Shastri said: “I think it is a combination of both. These guys have the experience but Rohit will take no nonsense. If they try to be flashy, Rohit will be at their ears straightaway. So you know where all the discipline comes from. He has marshaled his resources extremely well. He has been an outstanding captain in this World Cup.

“The way he never allows two spinners to bowl in tandem at once. There is always a mix of spin and pace for a short spell so that the batter doesn’t settle down or plan or target a certain bowler. He has been extremely proactive. He is not someone who is instinctive or excitable but he is someone who has a Plan A, B, and C in his pockets and is calm throughout his approach,” he added.

India have won all of their eight matches so far and will be looking to extend their winning run when they take on the Netherlands in the final league game on Sunday (November 12). The Men in Blue will lock horns against New Zealand in the semifinal next week for a place in the final.