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Rohit, who was presented with the Player of the Match award for his swashbuckling innings, revealed that he broke down his innings into pieces in order to adapt to the limited-overs format of the game.
India’s captain Rohit Sharma plays a shot during the second one day international cricket match between India and England in Cuttack, India, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma produced a scintillating ton against England at Cuttack in the second ODI between the sides on Sunday to help the men in blue seal the series with a game to spare. Rohit led from the front as the hosts chased down the target of 305 runs with 4 wickets and 33 deliveries remaining to wrap up the three-match series 2-0.
Rohit, who was presented with the Player of the Match award for his swashbuckling innings, revealed that he broke down his innings into pieces in order to adapt to the limited-overs format of the game.
“Really enjoyed being out there, scoring some runs for the team. Important game, series on the line. I broke it into pieces how I wanted to bat. It’s a format that is longer than T20 cricket and a lot shorter than Tests. Still, you need to assess and bat according to the situation. I wanted to stay focused and bat as deep as possible,” the Indian skipper said.
“Looking at the pitch when you play on black soil, the pitch tends to skid on a bit so it’s important that you show the full face of the bat. Then they were trying to bowl into the body and not give room so I prepared my plan as well,’
Rohit was accompanied well by opening partner Shubman Gill, who added 60 runs to the scoreboard, and later by Shreyas Iyer, who chipped in with 44 runs.
“I accessed the gaps and obviously, I got good support from Gill and then Shreyas,” the captain stated.
“We enjoy batting with each other, Gill is a very very classy player. I have seen him from close quarters and he doesn’t get overawed by the situation. The numbers are there as well if I’m not wrong,” Rohit elaborated.
Rohit emphasised on the importance of handling the middle overs in the 50-over format well and reiterated that India’s handling of the mid-portion of the innings proved crucial in clinching the series.
“It’s quite important, the game can go either side. If you manage and squeeze in the middle overs, it helps you not to worry at the death,” the 37-year-old said.
“In both the game, even in Nagpur, we squeezed in the middle overs and even here we squeezed in the middle overs. When you take wickets in the middle overs, you can contain the opposition,” Rohit added.
With the ICC Champions Trophy right around the corner, Rohit looks to have come back to form at the right time and insisted that collective growth was the only way to be able to compete at flagship events.
“We want to keep getting better as a team, I said after the last match as well, we want to get better as a team and as players,” the opener said.
“As long guys are clear what they are supposed to do and whatever the captain and coach is saying, if they execute it then there’s not much to think about,” he signed off.
- Location :
Cuttack, India, India
