Scoring runs quickly can’t be a template in all Tests, says Ishan

PORT OF SPAIN: India wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan favours playing Test cricket according to the situation of the match, adding that “Bazball” should not become the template for playing every single five-day game. Ishan, who made his Test debut on the West Indies tour, scored a T20-style half-century in the second innings of the drawn second Test here, as the need of the hour was to score quickly and set an imposing target for the host.

India scoring at 7.54 runs per over on day 4 of the second Test (it declared at 181/2 in 24 overs) caught the attention of the experts who asked Ishan during the post-match press conference if this is the way India would play Tests matches in future, much like England, whose aggressive style of playing has been give the term ‘Bazball’.

“It’s not necessary that every day you come in and start playing fast. That should depend on the situation. The condition of the pitches also plays a role in how quickly one can score runs,” said Kishan, who was promoted in the batting order to score quick runs on the fourth day of the second Test.

Kishan scored a 34-ball 52 to help India set a 365-run victory target for the West Indies but rain played spoilsport on the fifth and final day on Sunday to deny India a clean sweep of the two-match series. “Mostly, where we play, wickets are not that easy...there is turn and bounce.

So, there is no point in playing quick on those surfaces because you need to read the wicket properly. “If you get a wicket where you can score quick runs and the need of the hour is to do that, then every player in the (Indian) team has the capability to perform that role.

“The kind of players we have and the number of formats and matches that we play, everyone knows his role -- which match one has to play in what manner. So, personally, I feel, every match we don’t need to play like that (score quickly), but it should be situation-based.”

Kishan’s journey has been one of patience and endurance, where he has had to bide his time and wait for opportunities to come his way in all three formats of the game.

Asked how he dealt with the waiting game and whether it was frustrating to be sitting out and dealing with disappointments, the young cricketer said, “I think every individual is different. It might be frustrating for some, but someone else can take it as a challenge.”