When the captain says right at the start of the tournament that “our opening partnership will not change during the course of the tournament while the rest will rise and fall as required”, you know something has changed in Rohit. It was this sense of freedom at every step that the Indian captain exercised over the last month that paid off in a match of utmost importance for India.
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It was his strike of 41 balls and 92, by far the best innings of this World Cup, all hitters combined, Monday in Saint Lucia, which left Australia on the verge of eviction. Afghanistan’s subsequent victory over Bangladesh ultimately led to Australia’s early exit.
It was the 28 that Rohit bowled off Mitchell Starc in the third over of the match that set the tone for this attack. Starc’s Pace Bowling partner Josh Hazlewood doffed his hat to the effort.
“I have seen Rohit do this many times now. He’s a world-class player, so if you’re not on your game, it can happen. He just seemed to be going for the boundary with the wind for a while and then we probably reacted and he then hit a few balls on the other side as well. He’s a class player and we expect him to do that several times during the tournament,” Hazlewood said.
Playing without any sense of inhibition is a practiced art for some, but for Rohit, it comes naturally. That’s who he was when he was growing up as a young hitter, attracting everyone’s attention. Today at the twilight of his career, it is this same flamboyance that makes him so special when it manifests itself.
“The idea is not to just be one-dimensional. And that’s something that’s been running through my mind all along. I thought I would hit the ball wherever possible. And when you keep an open mind and don’t think about playing just one shot, you can open up and access all sides of the court,” Rohit said.
Although the run wasn’t exactly child’s play in St Lucia – the others struggled after Rohit’s departure – it was the simplicity of the captain’s batting that allowed the dugout to relax .
Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh spoke about how the team feels when Rohit takes charge like he did.
“We really enjoyed it. When he hits those long sixes, it doesn’t feel like he’s hitting the ball. He handles the ball with love, but he goes far,” Arshdeep said.
That’s the beauty of Rohit, who has been his own man throughout this World Cup. Happy, relaxed, sharing a few laughs with people around, spending time with his family once off the field – the pressured situation of opening and leading India in an ICC tournament didn’t bother him . And now it’s about continuing for two more matches.
The final act of this drama demands a perfect ending.