'A lot of young guys have stood up' - Rohit Sharma praises emerging talents for taking responsibility in England series

Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma, applauded the emerging talents within the Indian cricket team for exhibiting remarkable maturity and embracing responsibility in the ongoing Test series against England. As the action has shifted to the fourth match at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi, Sharma highlighted the pivotal role played by the young regiment in India's campaign.

The fourth Test marks a significant milestone as it witnessed fast bowler Akash Deep making his debut, adding to the roster of debutants already introduced in the series. With India leading the five-match series 2-1 against England, the encounter in Ranchi holds immense importance for both sides, for contrasting reasons.

England, under the leadership of Ben Stokes, elected to bat first upon winning the toss in Ranchi, aiming to reclaim lost ground after experiencing defeats in two of the preceding three Tests. Despite securing an early lead with a narrow victory in Hyderabad, England faced comprehensive losses in Vizag and Rajkot.

Also read: Emotional Akash Deep touches mother's feet ahead of India debut

"We would have batted first" - Indian skipper Rohit Sharma expresses his desire to have batted first

During the toss, the Indian skipper expressed his preference to bat first on the Ranchi pitch and acknowledged its dry nature and the presence of cracks, which could possibly pose challenges for both batting and bowling units. 

“We would have batted first as well. It looks a bit dry. Some cracks but that’s the nature of the pitch here and we have to play well to get on top. The last two games were good for us,” said the 36-year-old cricketer.

The veteran cricketer praised the young talents for their stellar performances so far in the series. The 22-year-old southpaw, Yashasvi Jaiswal, has emerged as the leading run-scorer, showcasing his skills with the bat alongside promising displays from Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan, and Dhruv Jurel. Their contributions have been instrumental in shaping India's fortunes and demonstrate the depth of talent present within the squad.

“A lot of the young guys have stood up to the challenge and taken the responsibility. That’s a good sign for us moving forward. These will be the future players for us. They were confident guys and knowing what they want to do for the team. If they continue to do what they have been doing, it will be good,” Rohit added.

Akash Deep, who has been brought in the team in place of Jasprit Bumrah, has already made a mark in his debut game by picking three wickets. He got rid of both the openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, and sent back the visitors' vice-captain Ollie Pope on a duck. England are batting on 73 for the loss of three wickets (at the time of writing).

Also read: Akash Deep gets maiden Test wicket denied due to no-ball, scalps three quick wickets in response