Boria Majumdar
There is no question that it wasn’t Rohit Sharma’s best effort. Not even remotely so. And yet, it will be one of his most pleasing efforts in recent times. Rohit was all at sea to start with. He just couldn’t put bat on ball. There was a close lbw shout where he was saved by a thin edge. His new-found fitness, which allowed him the full-length dive, prevented him being run out. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood beat him time and again. But at no point did he give up. He was ready for the grind and ready to look ugly. That’s what stood out for him and for India. The ball kept doing something until at least the 20th over and Rohit was determined to stay out there and make things count.
Clive Lloyd always talks about the importance of batting ugly. To not give up. That’s what Rohit was prepared to do and that’s what I liked seeing in him. He clearly has the hunger and, deep down, is committed to giving it his best. Try the hardest he can. For a performer, that’s all that is needed. Do the process right. Don’t give up and the game will reward you. The 97 balls that Rohit played will do him a world of good going forward. He will know that he still can be out there and make a difference for his team. He can play the hook and pull for six and still play the inside-out shot over extra cover.
Many will talk about his strike-rate. Yes, that was an issue, but then on a wicket where the bowlers were getting purchase, you needed to stay patient and set things up. India needed a foundation to build on and Rohit helped set that up. And once the first hour and a half was done, he did flower. Out came the pull shot, which was trademark Rohit. At the time he got out, the 100 was there for the taking. It was a rank poor ball which should have been belted for six. But he will take this innings, if nothing else for the grit and the resilience. It was proof that it is not about the three games in Australia. He wants to play for India and is ready to do the hard yards.
Rohit will need game time. He will need to play domestic cricket and keep himself ready. There is no substitute for time spent out in the middle, and Rohit will know it. For the moment though, it can be said that Adelaide has set him up for Sydney. When he walks out at the SCG, he will do so with a lot more confidence. He will know that he can score runs and weather the new ball for India.
For Rohit, this was a very important effort. An inning that will give him the self-belief that he can still make things happen. This was the answer all of India wanted to see, and to an extent at least, they did in Adelaide.
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