RANCHI: Be it ODIs or Tests, the script remains the same for Rohit Sharma. Despite making his 50-over debut in 2007, the Mumbai batsman took six long years and an opening slot to cement his spot in the team. It all began in 2013, when he was promoted to open the innings during the Champions Trophy. Now, he has slammed three double centuries in the format, apart from plundering runs at will in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups.
Prolific outings in ODIs had helped him find a place in the Test side in 2013. The gifted batsman started with a bang, scoring two centuries in his first two matches. But what followed next disappointed fans and critics alike; Rohit’s struggles in the longest format belied the talent he possesses.
Before the ongoing home series against South Africa, Rohit played 25 Tests, after his maiden series against West Indies in November 2013, scoring 1,297 at 33.25. Those modest returns include another hundred and 10 half-centuries.
Indifferent form saw Rohit in and out of the team. Things took a turn for worse after a dismal show in the Test series against South Africa in the Rainbow Nation last January. He was dropped again for the one-off Afghanistan Test, sat out the tour of England, and missed the home series against West Indies. Rohit again found a place during the tour of Australia in 2018-19, playing two matches and scoring an unbeaten 63 in Melbourne.
A slump in KL Rahul’s form gave Rohit a chance, as the team management decided to promote him to the opening slot against the Proteas. After another six forgettable years, the script unfolded on similar lines. The batsman has made the spot his own in just three matches with three centuries, including a maiden double ton.
Rohit’s current form seems to have settled the opening debate, at least for the time being. However, the batsman said he still has a long way to go. “I’ve always liked to do well in whatever position I play. It’s not that I’ve been doing well only after being made an opener. Yes, I am fond of opening, which I’ve been doing in the limited-over cricket. Having played only three Tests as an opener, I know I have a long way to go. I am not reading too much into these three Tests. Of course I will take a lot of positives, but I’m not reading too much into it.”
Rohit might feel it’s too early to announce his arrival as an opener, but batting coach Vikram Rathour believes he has done enough to seal his spot for the moment. “Making him open was a good call. With the amount of runs he has scored, he has settled the issue for the time being,” Rathour had said after Day 1. On being asked if India would consider tinkering with the opening combination when they leave for foreign shores, Rathour replied: “But why? Mayank has a double and a hundred. Rohit has scored three so far. I don’t think there’s any question of changing.”
After six years of ignominy and frustration, Rohit the opener can finally look ahead to getting the chances that he deserves.
So why is it clicking? Rohit believes batting at the top helps him avoid any distractions. He knows what his role is and what he has to do. India believe if he sees the new ball off, he can help them build big scores. Given the Test Championship is underway, an opener like Rohit, who can score at a brisk pace, once he gets his eye in is a huge asset and India want him to build his confidence in the role by playing at home before tough challenges that lie overseas.
By his own admission, he hasn't made any changes to his technique. What Rohit has done is work on the mental side of the game. Since being told by head coach Ravi Shastri to try his luck as an opener in 2015, Rohit has been preparing for the role in the nets. While it is normal for openers to face new ball at the nets, Rohit once he finishes his usual routine, spent extra time facing the pacers.
"I think it suits my game to just don the pads and go out and bat. The waiting game, sitting inside when I was batting at 5 or 6, I think… I won’t say that didn’t suit my batting but here, your mind is absolutely fresh, you know that you have to play the new ball. You know what the two bowlers bowling with the new ball can do. So the game plan becomes a little easier at that time. You know the field, you know the ball will not reverse. The plan is simple when you face the new ball. When you are batting at No. 6, the field placements are different, the ball is reversing, you have to score runs in front of the wicket. So you have to keep these things in my mind. For my game, I can’t say for sure but just pad up and go out to bat, it suits my game better," Rohit said.