Powered by self-belief, Rohit Sharma is now ready to cross the finish line
Virat Kohli has admitted more than once that he can only dream of playing the shots Rohit Sharma does, and called the opener's century against South Africa in Southampton "by far his best ODI innings". Rohit must feel humbled by all of that. At the same time, he must feel the pressure of expectations, both from within the dressing room as well as what might be building up outside.
Once upon a time, Rohit gave the impression that he didn't care. He is an ODI legend - no one else has three double-centuries in the format; he averages close to 58 as an opener. But in the last few years, he has got one key thing he didn't have earlier: "self-belief". Despite all the numbers and the belief, though, a question has hovered over Rohit for a majority of his career: can he maintain that consistency in really big matches, in tournament play? He had never convincingly answered that until June 5, when he played, in his own words, one of his best ODI innings, scoring the match-winning century in India's World Cup opener.
It was not a "typical Rohit Sharma innings", which usually starts slowly, then builds up steadily, and then climaxes with a gung-ho finish. It is a formula that has helped Rohit construct a series of memorable ODI knocks.
Against South Africa, Rohit threw that routine in the bin, replacing it with a method few thought him capable of, characterised by perseverance and patience. Once he had survived - with a little bit of luck - a probing spell of fast bowling from Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris in the first Powerplay, Rohit figured out it was best to meet the ball on the back foot; years of batting on a seamer-friendly Wankhede Stadium pitch in Mumbai had taught him exactly this - the risk in playing square of the wicket is less than forcing himself to play straight, something he prefers. So he curbed those natural instincts; 87 out of his 122 runs came in front of and behind square.
More than the runs, though, the clincher for Rohit was that he was able to finish off the chase, something that comes naturally to his captain. In the past, Rohit had struggled to play till the end despite getting very healthy starts.
If you thought, thinking back to the old Rohit, that he doesn't care or that he do justice to his ability, well, he does care. If not now, then when will he showcase what he has promised all along, for nearly a decade.
In January, facing a similar task, Rohit had made 133 in Sydney as India failed to chase down 288. In that chase, Rohit ran out of partners, but he was visibly angry at not taking his team past the line. Asked today if he enjoyed finishing the job, Rohit's response brought out more than a few laughs among the media corps. "I have played more than 200-odd ODIs [207] now. If I don't do it now, then when?"
Rohit said the Southampton century had brought him "immense pleasure" because not only did he get a start, he also stitched together partnerships, and accomplished the team goal of having a top-order batsman stay till the end. "You want to make sure that you start the innings and you finish off the innings, as well," he said. "That gives you immense pleasure. And when I did that in the first game, the satisfaction you get finishing the job is something else, rather than scoring a hundred and not finishing off the game."
On Sunday, Rohit will be aware that Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, who he has not faced in the past several years in ODIs, will test his skills with 150kph bolts. His record at The Oval isn't great - 142 runs in four matches, with two half-centuries - but his numbers against Australia are phenomenal. Rohit has 1980 runs against them at 61.87, the highest by any batsman against the defending world champions (with a filter of at least 500 runs). In terms of runs, he ranks fourth. On the list of batsmen with the most centuries against Australia, he is placed third with seven.
In an interview recently to the Times of India, Rohit confessed that "nothing hurt more" than being left out of the 2011 World Cup squad. But, as a youngster, he wasn't the dependable batsman he now is.
One big reason for Rohit's change in mindset, according to long-time friend and former Mumbai teammate Abhishek Nayar, has been his hugely successful captaincy stint at Mumbai Indians in the IPL. "The way he thinks and the way he approaches his batting has completely changed," Nayar said. "Even in the last game, it was all about how he could get the team in a position from where India could win. For him it was all about playing those overs.
"We have always seen the flamboyance in his cricket. But the maturity has come in terms of how he looks at the game and it is all because of his captaincy in the IPL. We are getting to see that side of Rohit who can be responsible and continue being flamboyant when he gets going."
Another thing that is not often associated with Rohit is discipline. But he has worked hard on that front too. He started opening in ODI cricket from the 2013 Champions Trophy in England. India winning the tournament gave him the confidence that he could play in the top order. He did not succeed consistently enough, he accepts, but experience has taught him to understand his role better.
Unlike Kohli, who not only wears intensity but puts it out wherever he steps, Rohit is more casual in his approach, laidback in his demeanour, yet composed. Kohli wants to be a perfectionist and is not shy of showing it. Kohli's aura is visible. Rohit's is hidden behind his chest guard. "Self-belief is something that I guess has played a crucial part in these five to six years, because if I wouldn't have believed that I can open and do well, I probably wouldn't have been doing it so successfully," he said. "So that is something that I kept telling myself all the time, whenever I got in a position to bat, that I can get the job done for the team."
Rohit plays shots that instantly enter the mind's photo album and stays there. Shots that no one in world cricket plays the way he does. His "not typical" Southampton ton is already etched in memory. But can he remain consistent? Can he make this World Cup his, as his numbers suggest he can?