"Seniors have to step up, take responsibility": Amit Mishra on India's 0-2 Test whitewash to SA at home

New Delhi [India], December 23 (ANI): Former Indian spinner Amit Mishra spoke on India's 0-2 Test series whitewash against South Africa, saying that the senior players will have to show responsibility, and both them and youngsters alike should play as per the wicket and bowling line-up.
Amit, who represented India in 68 international matches and took 156 wickets, including 76 Test scalps in 22 matches at an average of 35.72, was speaking to ANI. In November, South Africa inflicted a massive scar in Indian Test cricket again, as performances from skipper Temba Bavuma, Marco Jansen, and Simon Harmer handed India their second whitewash series loss at home in back-to-back years after the 0-3 humiliation to New Zealand last year, which was their first home Test series loss in 12 years.
This also continued India's poor record against South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia (SENA) teams at home, having lost all their last five Tests to SENA nations in home conditions.
Speaking to ANI, Mishra said, "We will have to bat according to the wicket and show maturity. Not every wicket is like where you can score 200-220 runs on every wicket, there are also some wickets where you can win a match with 140 runs on the board, 170 on the board. No doubt we have some youngsters and inexperience, but the seniors have to stand up, take responsibility. They have to tell youngsters about what shots to play, what kind of bowlers they can target on a particular wicket and which shots and bowlers you should not play."
On whether Team India should stop using excessively spin-friendly wickets, Amit said that the Indian team has been playing on such surfaces since a long time, it is just about being "patient" and respectful to good bowlers.
"We have been playing on such wickets for years now. It is just that players have to show maturity and stay patient. If there is a good bowler bowling, you have to respect them. Coaches need to explain the right mentality," he added.
Amit also backed under-fire head coach Gautam Gambhir and the remainder of the coaching staff, saying that they need to be given time instead of fans trolling them and asking for their sacking.
"We should give them some time. It is not like we have not won any series. We won the Asia Cup and the Champions Trophy under them. But sometimes, you as a player need to show more responsibility. Seniors need to guide youngsters well, and youngsters should also take more responsibility. A coach cannot go out and play. It is the players who have to play and understand what sort of batting and bowling should be done and what kind of combinations and match-ups would be right," he added. (ANI)