A discernible smirk adorned the faces of reporters at the post-match press conference last Monday when skipper Rohit Sharma delivered a stern message for players wanting to make it to the national Test team without putting in the hard yards, adding that opportunities will only be given to those who show ‘hunger for success’ in this format.

"Jin logon ko bhookh hai, hum unhi logon ko mauka denge (We will give opportunities to only those who are hungry). Agar hunger nahi hai to unko khila ke koi matlab nahi hai (There`s no point in engaging with those who lack the drive)," he said. His remarks intensified the spotlight on Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, both of whom have featured in India’s Test squads recently but have skipped Ranji Trophy since being dropped.