India are looking to put behind the disappointment of the first Test loss against England in Hyderabad as Rohit Sharma's men gear up for the next challenge in Visakhapatnam. The Men in Blue were blown away by a sensational comeback from England in the second innings and are now handicapped with the absence of key players like KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli. Despite the odds stacked up against them, cricket pundits and fans believe the hosts have enough fuel in them to forge a comeback in the series.
Former Indian chief selector Chetan Sharma has made a bold prediction of India winning the series despite the injuries and the loss in the series opener last week. In an exclusive chat with India TV during the launch of the Asian Legends League, the former fast bowler said that the Indian team can not only make a comeback in the series but can go on to win it.
"No one wants to get injured. I have no worries (on comeback). When I was the selector, we lost the first Test in Chennai three years ago to England but we went on to win the series convincingly (3-1). It's good that it is a five-match series. This was a setback, a wake-up call but no issues, the Indian team has great power. Injuries are part and parcel of the game, I have full confidence, that we will win this series," the former chief selector said to India TV.
'Rohit Sharma is a lion': Chetan Sharma
The ex-India selector was also asked about the captaincy of Rohit Sharma during the first Test. Recently former England captain Michael Vaughan said that Rohit Sharma's captaincy was 'very, very average' and was 'reactive' in the first Test. He said that had Virat Kohli been the India captain, the hosts would not have lost the Hyderabad Test match. However, Chetan seemingly brushed apart the critical opinions on Rohit's captaincy, calling him a lion. "Questions arise when you lose, they don't surface when you win. This was the same Rohit Sharma who helped India win 10 matches in the World Cup. He is a lion, he will come back and win the series," the former selector said.
He also backed Shubman Gill for coming good and called him a big player. He wished him the best for the future games.
India and England will take on each other for the second Test at the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam from February 2 onwards.
