New Delhi: After India wrapped up a dominant 2-0 Test series sweep over the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, captain Shubman Gill expressed his excitement about the return of seasoned campaigners Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the ODI fold ahead of the upcoming series in Australia.
The senior duo, who announced their retirements from the T20I and Test formats, will participate in the ODI series – the only international format they are playing – starting on October 19 in Perth. India are scheduled to play three ODIs and five T20Is on their limited-overs tour of Australia.
“We’ve been playing some of the best ODI cricket in the past two or three years, and nothing changes for us. It’s more or less the same team that we’re playing. So, very excited to go out there and play in Australia,” Gill said on JioHiotstar.
The Indian captain added on the expectations from Rohit and Kohli, saying, “They’ve been playing for India for the past 10–15 years and winning matches for us. The experience that they bring to the table is something every captain or every team wants. And that’s what we are looking forward to. We just want them to go out there and do their magic.”
Both Rohit and Kohli will play under Gill’s captaincy for the first time after the Champions Trophy-winning captain was not named skipper for the Australia ODI series.
Gill also spoke about the challenge of switching formats in a packed schedule. India concluded the Asia Cup shortly before entering the Test series, a transition that demanded quick mental and technical adjustments.
“From the Asia Cup to this Test series, it was a very quick turnaround. We finished the Asia Cup, and in the next two or three days, we were playing a Test match. That was new for me. But I think going back to the basics of a particular format is something that works for me. Whenever you’re switching formats, knowing what the basics and the foundation of that format are is something I go back to, and I think that works for me,” he said.
(IANS)
