Shubman Gill believes Rohit Sharma will be back in form when he returns to white-ball cricket against England in the 50-over format.
The opening ODI of the three-match series is in Nagpur on Thursday.
“The way Rohit bhai has been batting in the ODIs in the past one year and a half,
it’s been really game-changing for us.
“Taking the momentum right through from the start and taking the game away from ball one... It makes the job of the non-striker and the batsmen coming in a bit easier and I think it has helped our team a lot,” vice-captain Gill said during a news conference on Tuesday.
Gill defended their performance in Australia and said that one poor series does not define a team and that it’s unfair to criticise a side for a rare bad outing.
India suffered a 1-3 defeat in the five-match Test series in Australia, bringing to an
end their decade-long dominance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Before the tour Down Under, India also lost the series against New Zealand 3-0, their first such whitewash at home.
“One series does not define the form of the whole team. There are a lot of players who, in the past, have performed consistently in a lot of series and tournaments,” Gill said.
“Definitely, we did not play as per our expectations in the Australia series, but still we played some good cricket. We were unfortunate not to have (Jasprit) Bumrah on the last day and we would have won the match and the series would have been a draw and this talk wouldn’t have happened.
“One match and one day doesn’t define us, we won there twice before and earlier won a World Cup and then reached the final of a World Cup, so we should keep all those things
in mind.”
While the likes of Rohit, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, besides Gill, have struggled for form, Karun Nair who scored 779 runs in eight innings at an unbelievable average of 389.50 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy has been overlooked.
However, Gill highlighted the importance of continuity to ensure a secure team environment rather than making frequent changes based on domestic performances.
“Karun had a great Vijay Hazare Trophy, but that doesn’t mean the current players should be dropped. They have also performed well to reach this stage.
“We lost only one game in the World Cup. The players in the squad have contributed significantly, and while it’s unfortunate for those excelling in domestic cricket who weren’t picked, constant chopping and changing will affect players’ confidence. Without continuity, we can never build a strong team,” Gill said.
He stressed that the scramble for a spot at the top between Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma and him hasn’t led to any “toxic competition” for places. “Abhishek is a childhood friend of mine. Jaiswal is
also a friend, I don’t think there is any toxic competition. You are playing for the country and for the team and whosoever performs you congratulate them,” Gill said.
Varun included
Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been added to the squad for the upcoming ODI series, the BCCI confirmed. He practised with the side in Nagpur on Tuesday.
Chakravarthy excelled in the T20I series vs England.