'I Wanted Ishan to...': Rohit Sharma Sheds Light on Animated Gesture Before Declaration
Ishan Kishan scored his first run after 19 balls (Twitter)
India's commanding win against West Indies in the inaugural Test of the new World Test Championship cycle, driven by an innings and 141-run win in Dominica, has been as much about team brilliance as it was about individual dynamics.
Rohit Sharma explains his on-field gesture
While Ravichandran Ashwin's outstanding performance on Day 3, capturing seven wickets, contributed significantly to India's victory, the spotlight shifted towards an intriguing incident between skipper Rohit Sharma and wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, who made his debut in the match.
Rohit declared the Indian innings at 421/5 during the day's initial session, but not before his apparent display of frustration towards Kishan, who took 20 balls to score his first run. Many interpreted Sharma's displeasure as a push for Kishan, a player known for his aggressive batting style to escalate his scoring tempo, considering the planned declaration of the innings.
Addressing the situation during the post-match presentation, Sharma refuted the conjectures, offering an explanation. His intent, he disclosed, was to prod Kishan into scoring his first run in Test cricket before ending the innings. He stated that he had given the batters an indication of an impending declaration with just "about an over" remaining.
The skipper’s gesture, emerging from the pavilion in his whites and motioning animatedly to Kishan, was part of this strategy.
“I was just letting them know we have an over or so before declaring. I wanted Ishan to get off the mark, wanted to tell him to get his personal mark and then we had to declare. I could see that he was always eager to bat, it could be frustrating for them,” said Rohit.
Kishan promptly responded to Sharma's sign, making a run on the next ball, an action that led the skipper to swiftly declare the close of the innings.
Meanwhile, after the dominant win in the first Test, the action now shifts to Trinidad where the two sides will take on each other in the final game of the series, starting Thursday, July 20.
 "Jatin")
