Amazing to see how well Washington Sundar played in England: Rhodes
Rohit Sharma
and
Virat Kohli
from the Test arena, Indian cricket has entered a new phase. Rohit and Kohli's contributions had long been central to the team's success in the longest format.
But, in their absence, a young crop made its mark and showed promise in the India-England series.
India's not-so-experienced batting line-up in English conditions rose to the challenge, with
Shubman Gill
leading from the front in his first series as captain. South African great
Jonty Rhodes
believes that India's incredible depth has both positive and negative impact.
Bowled Over by Miya Magic: Mohammed Siraj shines brightest | IND vs ENG 5th Test
'I think India's biggest disadvantage is the fact that they have got so many players.
It is not just the IPL, every state has its own league and it is a great platform for young players to showcase their skill. In India, it is so difficult to know when to retire. When you see young prodigious talent churned out and if you do not give them a chance, you possibly could not lose them but the frustrations will grow. It is kind of a double-edged sword.
It is great to see the young players stepping up,' Jonty said, after the opening ceremony of the Asian Surfing Championships in Mamallapuram.
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One such player who made a strong impact was
Washington Sundar
. The 25-year-old all-rounder played a vital role with both bat and ball. 'Washington has played a lot of limited-overs cricket and it is amazing to see how he played in England. We have seen the importance of all-rounders and there are exciting times ahead,' Jonty, who is the brand ambassador of the Surfing Federation of India, added.
There has been quite a bit of talk about the competitiveness in Test cricket, with matches often ending in less than five days.
However, the fight in the India-England series came as a pleasant surprise, as the first four Tests went till the fifth day. 'When T20 started, everyone thought that Test cricket would be at risk. But I think we have seen the level of skill now added with this bravery and everyone talks about 'Bazball'.
Rishabh Pant is getting himself into all sorts of interesting positions when he is playing and that just makes it exciting.
'If a five-match series comes down to Day 4 in the fifth Test, that is what you want to see. Every single Test in the series had its ups and downs, which kept people engaged throughout.'
WTC win an incredible feat for SA
After multiple heartbreaks in the knockout stages of ICC events, South Africa finally seized their moment by clinching the World Test Championship title. 'It was interesting because we did not win trophies for a long time.
There was criticism from coaches and commentators, mainly the commentators asking who have South Africa played. It is fine because sadly, we do not play a lot of Test cricket. Test cricket is big business and if it is not against Australia or India or England, it is a draining business.
'It has been disappointing how little Test cricket the South Africans get to play. I think it is an incredible feat (WTC win), considering the limited time they spend in the format. Hopefully, now that they have won an ICC trophy, the shackles will be released.'
For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the
India vs England Test match
here.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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