Captain Rohit Sharma shakes arms with English counterpart Ben Stokes after successful the fifth Test Match in Dharamsala.
| Photo Credit: Gareth Copley
Former England spinner Graeme Swann would not imagine Rohit Sharma’s captaincy was higher than Ben Stokes’ in the five-match Test series. Rather, it was a deadly set of bowlers that “did the trick” for the India skipper.
While Stokes’ management model has attracted all the consideration previous to and through the series, Rohit’s group emerged 4-1 winners in the finish.
“I don’t think he has been superior as a captain because his bowlers have done the trick for him. I think he’s got more weapons at his armoury,” Swann informed PTI Videos in an unique chat after India inflicted an innings and 64-run defeat on England in the fifth and remaining Test in Dharamsala on March 9.
“He’s been good don’t get me wrong, Rohit Sharma, but, I don’t think if you pick this apart and say Stokes has captained badly, I think you are barking up the wrong tree there.
“Rohit Sharma’s bowlers have actually come to city for him, come to the occasion for him, in the final 4 Test matches, they did not in the first one however they’ve carried out for the final 4,” Swann noted.
No blaming Bazball
Far from blaming ‘Bazball’ for England’s loss, Swann said Stokes and Co actually failed to play the brand of cricket that has brought them success in recent times.
Swann’s observation is in stark contrast to the views expressed by few other former players who attributed the drubbing to the visitors’ fixation with Bazball.
“I don’t think we’ve got seen Bazball on this journey in any respect, we noticed it for one innings of this Test series, that is when Ollie Pope bought a 190, and that was the definition of bazball,” he said.
“I think England, the place they’ve fallen flat on this series is, they haven’t been courageous sufficient. I don’t think they’ve performed what you guys in the media name Bazball.
“I think if they had, I think this series would have been closer if I am honest.” Bazball, which is derived from England Test coach Brendon McCullum’s nickname Baz, fell flat as the vacationers capitulated inside three days in the fifth Test, serving to India safe their seventeenth straight Test series triumph on residence soil.
On the match getting over in beneath three days, Swann stated: “I would say it’s a very good advertisement for Test cricket, because it was an exciting match.
“India have been simply too good for England on this sport. It’s all the time at the finish of a series if it is already been gained by one group, you are concerned that this may occur, the resistance can be fully blown away and it was on this Test match.
“So England will have to go home and shake themselves off wondering where it went so badly wrong. India are world class especially their bowling attack, and that was really shown again in this Test match.” As a former off-spinner himself, Swann applauded Ravichandran Ashwin’s stupendous efficiency on his 100 Test match.
“You know what it’s brilliant, to get a fifer on his hundredth Test match. I have not actually seen him, I was looking to go and congratulate him myself but I will have to do that at the hotel later.
“Bowling so nicely and making these early inroads, that was sensible, probably considered one of his finest fifers in his 100 Test matches, so you’ve got to take your hat off to Ashwin,” he observed.
On James Anderson becoming the first fast bowler to reach 700 wickets, Swann said: “He’s a joke, Jimmy is an absolute joke, how he has stored going for all this period of time.
“When I say it’s a joke I mean that in a good way, he’s been incredible, and to get 700 wickets, well you know it’s almost nonsensical the achievement and I love him to bits.
“I was sort of hoping when he nearly bounced Kuldeep out, nearly hit his gloves and bobbled in the air, that will have been the dream for Jimmy, as a result of he has not bowled an honest bouncer for 10 years, however he has now.”
