It was a conversation with Rohit Sharma that left a lasting impression on me. India had won the famous Gabba Test (January 2021) and Rohit, like everyone else, was in a very happy frame of mind.
“In team sport, it is always about wins like this,” he told me. “Individual milestones, while they look good on the scoreboard, don’t really matter unless the team wins. Even if you score a 30 and make your team win, it is way more important than scoring a 100.”
As Dhruv Jurel hit the winning runs in Ranchi, my thoughts went back to this comment from the skipper. A match-winning 39 from Jurel, on the back of a splendid fifty from Rohit and another from Shubman Gill, gave India an unassailable 3-1 lead.
For Rohit, it has always been about the team. He is like an elder brother to most of the youngsters and they know that, with him around, each will get a fair run. Rajat Patidar, for example, could have been dropped for this Test. He wasn’t and got one more opportunity. That he looked out of sorts is a different issue altogether. But no one can fault Rohit for not giving him a fair chance.
Also Read: Aggressive as well as calm under pressure, Jurel ticks many boxes
Of the three Tests that India have won, England seemed to have an upper hand in two of them. At 224-2 in Rajkot, it was England’s game. India looked under pressure and another good hour could have made things very difficult. That’s when Rohit as skipper managed to pull things back. And once he did, he did not relinquish control. Rather, India pushed home the advantage and crushed England by a margin of 434 runs.
In this Test match in Ranchi, it was England that held all the aces when India were precariously placed at 177-7 in their first innings. Any lead of over 100 would potentially have been match-winning, but that was when India staged a stellar fightback through Kuldeep Yadav and Jurel. It was fight of the very highest class and once the lead had been whittled down to 46, Rohit sensed a chance. He went for the kill with R Ashwin and Kuldeep, and both his spinners stood up when it mattered.
Shubman Gill’s half-century and another nerveless hand from Dhruv Jurel sealed a series win for India after Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal had set the platform with a stand of 84.#DhruvJurel #INDvENG@atreyom reviews the 4th test.https://t.co/2nUpzxGneg
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 26, 2024
From telling Sarfaraz Khan to wear his helmet while fielding close in, to constantly speaking to Kuldeep, Rohit was hands on. Wired, as they say. He never let the game drift and even from a position of weakness, India kept fighting back. Finally, when it was India’s turn to bat, the skipper knew he had to stay out there and get the early runs. In Hyderabad, India had failed to chase down 231. Here, the target was 192.
In Hyderabad, Rohit and Yashasvi Jaiswal weren’t up to the mark. In Ranchi, the story was very different. The opening partnership of 84 meant that all India needed was one more good spell. Even if wickets fell in a heap, as they did either side of lunch, the target wasn’t far. One hour of good batting was enough. With Gill and Jurel, that’s what India got.
The ability of this team to come back time and again is what defines Rohit and his side. Under no circumstances do they give up or concede an inch of ground. Their game may not get the same hype as Bazball, but the doggedness and the determination to look ugly if needed wins you Test matches. The scoreline says it all for Rohit.
He has been criticised a lot in recent times. Failing to win an ICC trophy will continue to haunt him. Not getting over the line in England and then again in Ahmedabad will forever peg him any assessment of his time as skipper. That’s where this series win is of immense significance. For Rohit and his self-belief. He needed to get over the line, for he had come up short far too many times. In the 50-over World Cup, he won 10 straight matches only to falter at the final hurdle.
He needed to win in Ranchi to get over the line. Not leave it for Dharamshala, where England might find conditions more suited to them. That’s why this series win will set Rohit up for the T20 World Cup. Give him both confidence and belief. Help him bond his team better and set them up for one more ICC title push. To beat England with half the side missing is a tribute to Rohit and Rahul Dravid. And it could well be the moment the tide finally turned for Indian cricket.
The series win against England has been a personal triumph for Rohit Sharma as well and will help silence the naysayers
✍️@shamik100#RohitSharma #INDvENG https://t.co/XsAi039Mg5
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 26, 2024