"Many people say I lose my wicket because of poor shot selection but I did not do that in the last game" - Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma played one of the most defensive knocks of his Test career in the last Test against England. The Indian opener, who is famous for his attacking game, aggregated only 49 runs off 144 deliveries at a strike rate of less than 35 in the fourth Test versus England.

Reflecting on his previous innings, Rohit Sharma stated he was happy with his performance at the Narendra Modi Stadium. He pointed to how his shot selection came under the scanner every time he got out. However, Rohit tried his best not to gift his wicket to the opponents in the last game.

In a virtual interaction after Team India's Test series win, Sharma told reporters:

"That 49-run knock against England was so satisfying. I had played around 150 deliveries but it was satisfying as the knock was against my natural game. Your confidence increases when you achieve success despite playing against your natural game. They (England bowlers) bowled outside off constantly but I curbed my instincts. Many people say I lose my wicket because of poor shot selection, but I did not do that in the last game."

Rohit Sharma's 49 was vital in the Indian cricket team's victory in the fourth Test. He held one end while Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Virat Kohli lost their wickets quickly.

Sharma had a 39-run fourth-wicket stand with vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, and he added 41 runs for the fifth wicket with Rishabh Pant before Ben Stokes dismissed him.

My goal is to play more deliveries now: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma wants to bat slower in Test cricket.

Many fans regarded Rohit Sharma as a white-ball specialist during the initial phase of his career. Sharma plays an attacking game naturally, and even in Test cricket, he has a strike rate of close to 60.

However, in his most recent press conference, Rohit mentioned how he planned to change his approach in the game's longest format.

"Unfortunately, I got out on 49, but I was satisified with my discipline. The biggest thing for me as a Test opener now is the number of deliveries that I face. Scoring runs is secondary, but I aim to play 100, 150, 200, and even more balls now. My goal is to play more deliveries now because if I stay in the middle, runs will come automatically. It will benefit me as well as my team," Rohit Sharma concluded.

This is us ringing Pujara’s door bell and scampering, after fielding for 2 days 😀 @cheteshwar1 @imkuldeep18 pic.twitter.com/iuYZwxLBaF

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) March 2, 2021