Boria Majumdar
To understand Rohit Sharma, we really need to understand the man’s mind for only then can you make sense of some of his decisions. For example, it was an easy solution for Rohit to opt out of the 2020-21 Australia tour. Having won a fifth IPL title with the Mumbai Indians, he was the toast of the nation and comparisons were rife if he should replace Virat as India’s white ball captain. Having come back to India to tend to his father who was infected with Covid, Rohit could have decided on skipping the Australia tour, undergo a full fledged rehab at the NCA and be ready for the England tour at home in February 2021. It was logical to do so because a 14 day hard quarantine awaited him in Australia if he decided to undertake the travel to down under in Covid times. Rohit had not travelled with the team and that meant he would be denied the privileges offered to them. They were moving from one bio secure bubble in the UAE to another in Sydney and as a result were allowed to train while serving the mandatory two weeks of quarantine. In Rohit’s case things were different. He would have to fly a commercial airline and that meant he wouldn’t be allowed to train for 14 days and would be confined to a hotel room, which could impact his recovery. In contrast, rehab at the NCA was the more prudent option for cricket in India was gradually starting to come to terms with Covid and Rohit could be ready for Test cricket by early 2021.
This is how we tended to think. No so Rohit. “I decided to travel to Australia for that’s what I think is right”, said Rohit in one of our many conversations during the 14 day quarantine in Sydney. “This is very difficult I can assure you and I can also tell you I wouldn’t do this ever again. In fact, no one should have to go through this it is that hard. Having said that I am convinced I did the right thing for my dream is to play Test cricket for India and it is only fair that I live my dream”, he argued.
It was fair that we asked him the dreaded follow up question. Did failure ever crop up in his mind? Was he not afraid that he would be stepping out to open the batting against the world’s best fast bowling attack with very little preparation? He was planning to play Test cricket in Australia having not played any competitive cricket for close to two months and having served a hard 14 day quarantine. It meant he would go into the third Test at the SCG without a single tour game and with only six days of proper training. Simply put it was near impossible to succeed in the circumstances. Did Rohit not think about the practicalities before he decided to take up the challenge?
And yes, we did ask him the question.
“You can’t pick and choose when it comes to playing for India. As I said before, my dream is to play Test cricket for India and that’s what I am doing. If I fail that’s okay with me but not trying isn’t. That would not seem right and in the end it is about doing things that you feel are right”, he was candid.