'He has got a lot of ability' - Rohit Sharma throws weight behind 'talent player' Rajat Patidar

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has acknowledged the struggles of Rajat Patidar, but also expressed faith in the young player's talent. The right-hander, who has faced his fair share of challenges in the series, is under the watchful eye of the coach and the skipper. Despite Patidar falling short of expectations in his debut series against England, Rohit placed his his belief in the newcomer, labeling him as a talented player.

"Patidar obviously, hasn't scored as many runs that he would like to or we would've liked to. But the guy definitely has got a lot of ability. I've seen him play very good cricket. He's a talent player. If I watch someone's batting and like it, I call him a talent player," Rohit said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

"He [Patidar] is very much new to Test cricket, so we've got to give him some more time to really make a judgement on him. He's got a lot of runs in domestic cricket. He's lost some opportunities here, but that happens when you're in the early stage of your career, you're nervous, you're trying to think about so many things. That is where I think the team has to back the individual and make sure there's no pressure internally on him," he added.

Also Read: Don't want to talk about great things I have done in life: Ravichandran Ashwin

In a series where India have already handed out four debuts, the decision to stick with Patidar despite the availability of alternatives like Devdutt Padikkal speaks volumes about Rohit's leadership philosophy. He emphasized the need to nurture young talents, acknowledging that mistakes are part of the learning curve in international cricket.

"These boys were picked because they have the game, the talent. They know how to hold the bat, know how to play the cover drive, play the flick. In the same way, they know how to bowl. Once they're here, it is important to nurture them because you get to learn in international cricket about which weapon to use in which situation. When you come here, your game is developed. But you get here and build on that, and in that process we have a role too. We have to tell them how to react to different situations. Unless they're in them (situations), they won't understand it," Rohit said.

The buzzword for India in this series has undeniably been "comeback". From losing the series opener in Hyderabad to seizing a 3-1 lead, the team has showcased resilience and character. Rohit underlined the importance of bouncing back.

"The way we won is important for me because a lot of the time we were behind in the game and we bounced back from there," Rohit added.

Also Read: 'Will he feature in only one Test?' - Aakash Chopra amid chants of Devdutt Padikkal's inclusion in Dharamsala Test

I haven't studied much in school, I am studying a lot here: Rohit Sharma

Reflecting on the series, the skipper acknowledged the valuable experience gained, describing it as a great opportunity for personal growth in his captaincy role. Injecting a touch of humor, he quipped about not studying much in school but highlighted the significant learning happening on the cricket field.

"Basically it has been a series of comebacks and we made good comebacks in the series. If we were behind on Day 2, we came back well on Day 3. We have come back from being down in one session to dominating the next. So throughout the series you must have seen that we have absorbed pressure and put it back on the opposition.

"Though I haven't studied much in school, I am studying a lot here. It has been a great series for me to learn a lot of things as a captain. There were lots of challenges that came our way right from the first Test. As a captain, this was probably the series where I got to learn a lot about how to utilise the players you have and get the best out of them. When the pressure is back on you, how do you respond to certain situations of the game? It was a great series to be part of and it made me understand where I have lacked as a captain and what are the things I need to do differently. There was a lot of learning," Rohit added.