By the time India came out to bat against South Africa, they had one big advantage. They knew that the Proteas hadn’t put a big total on board. It meant that they didn’t need to go on the attack right from the start. They could afford to play good, old-fashioned cricket. But on the flip side, having watched Jasprit Bumrah extract some disconcerting bounce from the wicket, the Indian batsmen would have known that Kagiso Rabada would pretty much do the same.
At the end of the South African innings, most observers were still talking about Bumrah’s first over of the match. He opened up Quinton de Kock by using angles and pace to deadly effect. Rabada did pretty much the same for SA — pace, bounce, movement. His first over had it all.
And facing him were two batsman — Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan — who have earned the reputation of being great on flat tracks but susceptible on pitches that offer help to the pacers.
A wicket, in these conditions, was never going to be far. And when Dhawan fell early, the danger signs were all there. When Kohli followed the left-hander back to the dressing room with just 54 on board, the danger signs went ballistic.
But as long as Rohit was in the middle, the team management wasn’t worried and neither were the fans. From having a reputation of being a batsman who threw his wicket away to becoming one who finishes matches off, the journey has been a long and rewarding one.
The match against South Africa was a classic reminder of that. These were the kind of conditions that the Rohit of old would hate. After being beaten a few times, he would look for the release shot; a shot that would give him a temporary dose of confidence to survive the barrage; a shot that would mentally reinforce him.
But the calmness and maturity he displayed in India’s first match of the 2019 World Cup showed just why he inspires so much trust now. Forget about the centuries, the fifties, the big sixes, the double hundreds and focus just on how he adapted his game to the match scenario. For the longest time, India could only trust Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni to do that but now the right-hander from Mumbai is stepping into the territory that separates great from the good.
At no point was Rohit looking to force the pace. He knew the run-rate was not a factor but wickets were — more precisely, his wicket was. He let the game come to him, which is perhaps far more difficult than it sounds.
“Different experience from India. There was something in it for the bowlers throughout the game, so you had to play out the overs initially and see what the ball was doing. I couldn’t play my natural game,” said Rohit after the game.
He added: “You have to take your time. Certain shots that I like playing, I had to cut out and play close to the body, and follow the basics properly - try and leave as many balls as possible on a pitch that is doing a bit. Building partnerships were key in this chase. It was a small total, but since there was something in it for the bowlers, it was tough and we needed partnerships.”
The fact that he is recognising these challenges shows how far he’s come along and that is a big plus for India. He finished with an unbeaten 122 as India won by 6 wickets — it was his 9th unbeaten century in chases. One more than Sachin Tendulkar. Only Kohli, with 11, has more.
It is a statistic that shows just how adept Rohit has become in finishing games off. It is also a statistic that shows why you don’t want him to settle down.
Kohli was quick to recognise the quality of Rohit’s knock. A good start in the World Cup was essential. It calms the nerves and allows the team to concentrate on the right things.
“I think in my opinion this is by far his best ODI innings because of the kind of pressure the first game brings from a World Cup point of view,” Kohli said during the post-match press conference. “And then I know, as a batsman, when you go in and a few balls bounce like that, it’s not easy to gather yourself again and play in a calm manner.”
But Rohit did that and India are thankful he did. In the end, perhaps the right-hander, himself, said it best.
“It wasn’t a typical Rohit Sharma innings, but I had to play out the overs initially to make sure that the job is done.”
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