Chennai: Legendary former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes was in the city Tuesday for the launch of Isuzu’s new mu-X SUV. During the event, he had a round table conference with reporters and opened about how the Indian cricket team is now. He also revealed the aspects the men-in-blue should focus on in the upcoming matches. In the end the fielding stalwart also explained how he enjoyed the country in the recent times.
Excerpts of his interaction:
Q: What do you think are the outcomes of India’s recent loss to England?
A: I would say India lost with incession as England is now in a great form. They have learnt a lot of lessons which helped them stay strong against West Indies. Also, they will surely be confident while heading to Australia. Captain Virat Kohli performed great during the recent times.
Q: How do you rate the bowling of Australia with that of South Africa considering India is soon going to face the former?
A: Australia has great spinners while we South Africans mostly rely on pacers. The best example is Dale Steyn. The Australians usually put the top order under pressure as their pitches are good cricket wickets. But as far as India is considered, they have a great opportunity now in the absence of Warner and Smith. They can take forward the winning streak against West Indies to Australia.
Q: How has been India’s stint so far against South Africa?
A: In addition to batsmen, Indian bowlers have learnt how to bowl pace in South Africa. I like the way Jasprit Bumrah bowls now. He is a learner. He has been highly successful in Australia so far. Pace is very important in Australia and I believe Indians will have a good show there. In South Africa, only full pace works, but, in Australia, both full pace and medium pace works. So, Indians have a lot of chance as they are good at medium pace.
Q: What do think about Kohli’s captaincy?
A: While Mahendra Singh Dhoni is cool, Kohli is expressive and fired up. No one can judge one’s captaincy as everyone has his / her own character and style of taking things forward. If a captain is able to bring in victories, there is no doubt in his captaincy.
Q: What does the Indian team needs to do now to be victorious in Australia?
A: I have one word. They need to be happy. A happy team always wins. They will be under a lot of pressure in Australia and they have to be calm and composed to pile up victories.
Q: How would you rate Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja?
A: They have been great. Ashwins’s spin has improved leaps and bounds. He will surely be a deal breaker in Australia which has great spin wickets.
Q: How has been your experience staying in India for the past few months?
A: It’s nothing short of overwhelming. I have been driving the now-launched Isuzu for the past one month exploring the length and breadth of the country with my wife and kids. There are a lot of great places in Tamilnadu itself to visit let alone rest of the country. I have become a great fan of places like Thiruvannamalai, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry, etc and am enjoying the state’s shores to the fullest. I urge all the Tamils to explore their State first before venturing out of it.