Reflecting on Test cricket, former India captain Rohit Sharma, whose Test career finished earlier this year, called the discipline “rewarding and exhausting” and said he handled the workload by preparing well.
The 38-year-old won 4,301 Test runs at 40.58 from 67 Tests and announced his retirement from the five-day format in May this year, a year after he withdrew from T20 internationals after India’s World Cup win, as captain.
Speaking at a CEAT event during a panel discussion on preparation for big moments, Rohit said: "It is something that you prepare for, because the game demands longevity. Especially in the Test format, you have to last for five days. Mentally, it is very challenging and it is draining as well. But all cricketers have been brought up playing First-Class cricket. When we start playing cricket at a competitive level, even in Mumbai, club cricket (matches) go on for two days (or) three days so we are built like that and it starts at a very young age for us. It kind of makes it a little easier how to respond to situations that are there in front of you."
Rohit recognized that younger players may not immediately understand the worth of preparation, but in later stages of their career it becomes more evident.
"...when I started playing the sport, it was all about having fun, enjoying (it). As you go on, you start playing age group cricket and you kind of keep moving forward from that. Slowly, as you meet a lot of senior players (and) coaches, they talk about how important it is to prepare well. When you are very young, you don't understand the importance of preparation. But as you go along, you understand, it gives you a kind of discipline that the game asks for, so it starts with preparation, understanding what exactly you need to do."
He stressed the demands of Test cricket articulated that a player staying focused consistently starts with keeping the mind fit and fresh.
"It takes a lot when you're playing the longest format and concentration is something that is the key, because you are speaking about high level performance and when you are expecting to put in high level performance, it starts with being mentally fresh all the time. A lot of work starts behind the scenes. Like I said, in preparation. I have to go back again to that because that is where it all starts. You prepare yourself to sustain for the longer period of time on the field."
He noted that it was when he got the opportunity to play for Mumbai and then later India, in that moment he recognized preparation was ingrained part of how he brought his best self to the game.
"It exactly happened to the same (way) with me, when I started playing for Mumbai and then went on to play for India. A lot of the focus, a lot of my time was given (on) how I prepped before the game. Because once the game starts, it's all about reaction and you react to whatever is thrown at you, whether it is a pressure situation, whether it is making the right decision on the field with the bat or with the ball. A lot of time was devoted to prep and I'm sure it's not just in cricket, but anywhere, whatever you do with life, I think preparation is the key."
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