Indian bowlers went with the mindset of taking wickets: Rohit Sharma

Indian opener Rohit Sharma was the chief architect of India’s win in the final ODI against Australia. He hammered a brilliant 125 off just 109 deliveries in the Nagpur ODI to play the anchor role of India’s run chase. With the win, India completed a comprehensive 4-1 win in the series. The added incentive that the team fetched with the win was a claim to the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings.

Chasing a modest 242 for win, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane gave a flying start to the team. There was only one result where the match was heading, and it was India’s way. Reflecting back at the game, as per the quotes in ESPNcricinfo, Rohit quoted that the team benefited from the experience of playing in the conditions. Also, the attitude that the bowlers have shown throughout the series has worked for the men in blue big time, feels the Indian opener.

“We’ve played in these conditions so many times and they understand that they need to keep sticking to their strength. One boundary here and there doesn’t make a difference. That’s been their attitude throughout the tournament and we go out in the middle to take wickets, not to look to get the strike-rate down,” mentioned Rohit.

“All the bowlers who participated in this tournament have gone with this mindset of taking wickets. When you’re doing that you will obviously strike at some point during the game and pull the match back towards you. That is what these guys have done, all the spinners and the fast bowlers as well. All the compliments should go to them as well, the way they have bowled as a bowling unit throughout the tournament,” he added.

On batting with Ajinkya Rahane

Commenting on his partnership with Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma remarked that he has batted a lot with Ajinkya in the past. The two players have been veterans in the Mumbai team at the domestic level. Rohit feels that they both understand each other’s game really well. He also lauded the efforts of Rahane, who scored as many as four fifties in the series.

He feels that as a batsman, it is of utmost importance to give confidence to the batting partner at every stage in an innings. He knows that playing the new ball is never an easy task irrespective of the fact where the match is being played or what conditions prevail at the venue.

“We have played a lot of cricket together in Mumbai and we understand each other and we know each other’s game really well. We talk a lot in the middle, about when we need to take risk and when we need not. These are the little things that really help in building a partnership. In the last three games, we’ve got hundred-run partnerships and that’s only through the communication we’ve had in the middle,” quoted Rohit Sharma.

“It’s important that you keep talking to your partner, making him comfortable and it goes the other way as well. And he has played really well throughout the tournament, scoring four fifties in the last four games and he’s shown a lot of maturity as well handling the new ball. Whatever conditions you play, handling the new ball is pretty important and he did that pretty well,” he conceded further.