CHENNAI: Will it be his last time in India colours? Is he going to retire? What will happen if he fails again? Are the selectors going to drop him either way come the next series? These and many more questions loomed over Rohit Sharma when he arrived at Lord's for the third ODI against England on Sunday.
The pressure went up further when England posted a mammoth 387/3 in 50 overs. Without Jasprit Bumrah, who had an impact injury, Indian bowling looked toothless. The total — highest at the venue — only meant Rohit was under the pump. A fifty or a good knock would not do. What Rohit needed is a big innings, one that comes as a statement. That looks like he still has it in him to construct an innings and take on bowling attacks at will.
For almost three hours (175 minutes) since he walked out to bat with Shubman Gill, Rohit showed just that. A masterful 138 from 110 balls before he eventually fell against the run of play. Soon, Sam Curran laid down the choke as India went from 304/2 to 329/7 before losing by 27 runs. England also won the series 2-1
The result may not have been what Rohit wanted. And there is still no guarantee that he will be picked the next time India plays an ODI in September. The 39-year-old, however, left his everything out on the field with an innings that rolled back time. An in the process, he left the ball in the court on the selectors on the way forward.
Truth be told, it was not easy either. Unlike India, England had a better pace attack and Rohit needed time to settle in. Gill (77) helped his former captain in that regard, taking the charge early on. They knew one of the top three had to go big. And Rohit, who started run-a-ball, soon upped the tempo. He took on Josh Tongue in the very first over after being cautious against Jofra Archer. Back-to-back boundaries came off Tongue before Rohit started playing with the field against Sam Curran. Having gotten out to the left-armer in the first match, the 39-year-old used the square behind the wicket to disrupt the length, forcing Curran to bowl in his strength. When Curran pulled his length back, Rohit brought out his trademark pull to deposit him in the stands.
The 50 came in as many balls, but soon he took it upon himself to get going. As seen in the past, once set, Rohit in ODIs becomes a beast. It was something the cricketing world hasn't seen in recent times. Sunday, however, was vintage Rohit as he kept picking up boundaries to keep run rate at check. Tongue, Archer, Adil Rashid, it did not matter who was in front him, a set Rohit was manipulating the length and field.
He cut and pulled Rashid on either side, dispatched the fuller deliveries from Archer down the ground to keep up his strike rate. It helped that his partner-in-crime for more than a decade — Virat Kohli (74) — was at the other end. The two ODI masters kept running between wickets as Rohit inched towards the big milestone. The much anticipated moment came in the 31st over as the Mumbai batter went big against Rashid to get to his 36th ODI hundred in just 84 balls.
Though the celebration remained understated — the last time Rohit removed his helmet for a hundred was in 2023 ODI World Cup against Afghanistan — the reaction in the middle said what it meant. Rohit lofted his arms before he was embraced by a pumped-up Kohli. Then came the bat raise in the direction of the pavillion and the stands where his family was with his wife in tears. Rohit also knew that the job is still not over.
With the English bowlers taking pace off on a softer ball and extra fielder outside, hitting across the park was not easy. Between overs 34-38, Rohit ensured there was at least one boundary coming in each over of Curran and Bethell, but he knew he had to go big and get a few 20-run overs. In an attempt to do that against Bethell, Rohit fell after a 110-ball 138.
Then came the long walk back with the packed Lord's on its feet. With Kohli cheering on from behind, Rohit removed his gloves, put his head down and walked back to the Lord's pavillion who were applauding him for one last time on English soil.
No one knows what lies ahead for Rohit except for the selectors. No one, at the moment, knows whether he will be a part of the next ODI series. But with that knock, at Lords' Rohit might just have bought some time for himself. Even if he hasn't, it would remain an innings and walk back to remember for a very long time.
Brief scores: England 387/3 in 50 overs (Ben Duckett 141, Jacob Bethell 91, Joe Root 74 not out, Jos Buttler 41 not out; Arshdeep Singh 2/72) beat India 360/7 in 50 overs (Rohit Sharma 138, Shubman Gill 77, Virat Kohli 74; Sam Curran 4/75) by 27 runs.
