We had to really work as a team: Adil Rashid

England leg-spinner Adil Rashid who has been the standout performer for his team with 16 wickets so far said that accolades were coming from every quarter after his brilliant performance against the mighty Indians but he was not someone who would get carried away with this.

“I never looked up for any praise from media or anybody. I just keep my head down and concentrate in the nets and work hard. Obviously, you go out there and give your 100 per cent. If wickets come, they come, if they don’t then (it’s not) big deal,” Rashid said at the media conference after the second day’s play.

On being asked how he prepares to deliver the ball to different batsman Rashid said, “Sometimes you get a bit of luck as well but hard work in the nets (is the key). I have worked on a few technical things like field placings.

“We are confident of having that belief that you can get all the best players in the world out. Sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don’t. At the moment it’s going ok so far.”

Rashid said that it was a collective effort from the team which helped him to get his wickets.

“We had to really work as a team. We had to stick to our plans. We had certain plans for certain players and we had to really look to nail it. We knew we might not get rewards straight away but if we stick to our plans we might get the rewards in the last session and that’s what happened,” he said.

Rashid was pretty happy with the way things panned out on the 2nd day of the 3rd Test and said the England bowlers did a very good job to restrict the Indians to 271/6 by the end of the day’s play, 12 runs adrift of the English total.

“We will take that at the end of the day. Probably, we bowled exceptionally well as a team. We stuck to our plans and we got rewards at the end of the session. They got a little partnership but you know it happens in cricket that can happen. But we will come back tomorrow and come over.”

Rashid was pretty happy with Stokes after the latter dismissed the inform Virat Kohli, “It was a big wicket and we all know that he (Kohli) is a class player. To get him on 60-odd (62), you know we have set our plans. For Stoksey (Stokes) to get (Kohli), there has been bit of a friction between the two (referring to their exchanges). But it shows the class of Stoksey. He really runs in and gives his 100 per cent and gets rewards.”

India got off to a brisk start against the visiting bowlers but Rashid said the pacers didn’t bowl too short.

“Not really. Obviously both the batsmen were in. They were playing a few shots, looking to be attacking and the pitch is still good so even a length ball, you can just go on the front foot and drive through and hit fours,” the leg-spinner concluded.