I broke it down into pieces – Rohit on bouncing back with a century
Rohit Sharma’s form in Test cricket has been a concern, but in ODIs, he continues to be one of India’s finest. With limited 50-over matches over the past year, his performance remained under scrutiny. A brief seven-ball stay for just two runs in the series opener against England raised some concerns, but his stellar 119 off 90 balls in the second ODI in Cuttack on Sunday provided the perfect response.
While he didn’t explicitly state it, Rohit acknowledged after the match that he “really enjoyed being out there, scoring some runs for the team”—a sight Indian fans have missed in recent times.
“I really broke it down into pieces about how I wanted to bat,” Rohit said in the post-match presentation after collecting his Player-of-the-Match award. “It’s a 50-over format, a little longer than T20 format and a little shorter than Test cricket obviously – a lot shorter than Test cricket – but obviously you still need to break it down and assess what you need to do at regular intervals and that is what I kept doing. It was important for a batter who gets set, needs to bat as deep as possible and that was my focus.”
A Much-Needed Return to Form
Rohit’s lean patch in international cricket has been widely discussed. Over the past 12 months, he has averaged just 23.70 in Test cricket, which has further dipped to 10.93 since September 2024. However, Sunday’s knock was vintage Rohit—an innings that reaffirmed his dominance in ODIs.
Speaking about his approach, he said, “On black soil pitches, the ball tends to skid on, so showing the full face of the bat early on is crucial. Once I got set, I understood their plan—bowling into the body and keeping it tight on the stumps. I devised my strategy accordingly, finding the gaps and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. I also got great support from [Shubman] Gill at the start and later from Shreyas [Iyer].”
Perfect Partnership with Shubman Gill
Rohit and Gill set the foundation for India’s successful chase of 305, stitching together a 136-run opening stand in just under 17 overs. The Men in Blue eventually sealed the win in the 45th over, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Praising his captain, Gill called Rohit “a very, very classy player” who remains unfazed under pressure.
“He makes things look much easier than they are,” Gill said after scoring 60 off 52 balls—his second fifty of the series. “Watching him take on the fast bowlers was an absolute treat from the non-striker’s end. His dominance in ODIs has been evident over the years, and today was no different.”
With the Champions Trophy set to begin on February 19, India’s captain might be struggling for form in Tests and has retired from T20Is, but his prowess in ODIs remains intact. For India, that’s one major puzzle piece firmly in place as they prepare for the marquee tournament.
