India vs England: Rohit Sharma, the Test batsman, is getting close to where he was destined to be

India vs England: Rohit Sharma, the Test batsman, is getting close to where he was destined to be

Admin Admin
Aug 13, 2021 - 10:15
0 6
India vs England: Rohit Sharma, the Test batsman, is getting close to where he was destined to be
Linkup

It's odd, isn't it? To talk about the evolution of a batsman in 2021, 14 years after he made his international debut!

Odd, isn't it? To make Rohit Sharma the cynosure of all eyes on a day KL Rahul scored a memorable century at Lord's to put India on top in the second Test.

At Lord's, Rohit Sharma looked the most assured he has in an overseas Test. AP

Still, odd as it may be, Rohit's knock of 83 — his highest overseas Test score so far — and the manner in which he collected those runs deserve a closer look and analysis. It's the closest he has ever got to being the Test batsman that he could be. His opening partnership of 126 with Rahul has India firmly in the driving seat in the second Test.

Rohit is a batting giant in ODIs and T20Is. But there are many who have accumulated a bucketload of runs at the international stage, only a few have got them in the manner Rohit does. Risk-free aggression, elegant strokes, perfect timing, and big shots in death have been the hallmark of his batting in limited-overs cricket.

But he also has a weakness, in Tests, that has never allowed him to be the batsman of the same calibre. He has often been found lacking the required temperament, if not technique, to complete his evolution as a batsman who should be on top in all formats, living up to his full potential.

Remember him gifting away his wicket to Nathan Lyon in the deciding Brisbane Test earlier this year? When he was absolutely under no pressure.

Or, the hoick that led to his downfall in the first Test of the ongoing series? Again under no real pressure to play that shot. Soft dismissals, at crucial junctures in overseas matches, have been a regular theme of Rohit's Test career, lapse of concentration had been his biggest adversary in the longer format. But not this time, not at Lord's. At the home of cricket, Rohit was also at home with his batting in Test cricket. He looked like a man fully committed and determined to crack the overseas Test code. An opener very well aware of where his off-stump was. A batsman never in a hurry, fully aware of the luxury of time Test match offers. Rohit is blessed with an array of shots in his repertoire but that has also been his biggest weakness in Test cricket. Too many shot options mean a cluttered mind, a trigger happy attitude which also increases the risk of getting out. At Lord's, on Thursday, Rohit successfully managed to distance himself from his usual self. He was able to rein in his attacking instincts to an extent never seen before. Rohit got his first 12 runs in 47 deliveries. But as soon as the ball started to get old, the bowling changes started to take place, the Indian opener began to open up. With four boundaries in a single Sam Curran over, he picked up the pace. It took him just 35 balls to go from 12 to 50. His next 33 runs came from 65 balls, but that was the need of the hour. During his 145-ball stay at the crease, not for once, Rohit looked out of place or flustered. A batsman who was often guilty of poking or stabbing at deliveries outside the off-stump, left deliveries for fun as if he had a premonition of what was to happen. He watched the ball carefully and played as late as possible, with soft hands, turning the fielders behind the wicket into mere spectators. You could say the bowling from England was ordinary. Economy rates of Curran, Mark Wood and Moeen Ali may also give some credence to that claim but one mustn't forget Rohit batted during the most trying times on Day 1 when overhead conditions were hugely in favour of the bowlers. In fact, the data suggest that it was one of the toughest opening days for batsmen at Lord's in recent times.

Eventually, it took a jaffa from James Anderson to get rid of Rohit who looked set for his first overseas Test century. It was not to be, but the knock of 83 is sure to give him an amount of gratification that few of his centuries might not have.

More importantly, it could serve as a template for Rohit to establish himself as a Test great. After all, it's the overseas frontiers that have proven to be too big a challenge for the 34-years-old. His home record has always been awe-inspiring.

“This is a perfect template for Rohit Sharma if he has to perform consistently in overseas conditions. I was talking about the transformation he has had in his ODI career – since the time he started opening. Even when he got a few double hundreds, there is a proper template which he follows consistently,” VVS Laxman told ESPNcricinfo.

“I think he has found a template for how to build his innings because as an opener, or as an international batsman, you have to have processes: how to build an innings, how to convert your starts into big scores, when to change gears, against which bowler to attack, against which bowler to give respect. I feel This innings will work as a template for Rohit Sharma going forward.”

Indian openers couldn't survive the first 20 overs even once outside Asia between 2011 and 2020. In 2021, they have done it five times in nine innings. Rohit has been one of the openers in all those innings. From being on the fringe to becoming India's most trusted opener, Rohit has come a long way in Test cricket, and is now ever so close to being the batsman he was destined to be.

Read More