Nonchalant strokeplay, record five hundreds in a single World Cup
ONE-DAY
WORLD CUP BATTING: Matches 17, Innings 17, Not Out 2, Highest Score 140, Runs 978,
Average 65.20, Strike-rate 95.97, 100s 6, 50s 3, Catches 7
What does one say about a man who
scores three double centuries in One-day Internationals (ODIs) with a record
264, by a long way, to his name, and one who hits up five hundreds in a single
World Cup. Just ten double hundreds have been scored in over half a century of
ODIs, all since 2010, and no one else has managed more than one. Suddenly, in
2019 Rohit equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s record six hundreds in the World Cup.
There was always something special about Rohit. His sublime strokeplay, almost
casual, David Gower like, endeared him to everyone. His lofted pull became his
hallmark, earning him loads of sixes with the occasional dismissal. For what
seemed ages, his innate God-given abilities did not translate into results
expected of them. Then, like Tendulkar, he was given a spot at the top of the
order and he flowered. Still, someone with his flair and natural gifts was not
making headway at the Test level. Again, he was given the opener’s role, and he
was off the blocks. A hugely successful IPL captain, Rohit Sharma found his way
to the helm of the national side. He finally settled where he was always ordained.
His World Cup debut was the high
intensity contest with Pakistan. Rohit raised 34 with Shikhar Dhawan in 7.3
overs. But on 15 he attempted his favourite pull shot off Sohail Khan; this
time he miscued and the ball went sailing into the hands of mid-off. Virat
Kohli (107) was associated in two century stands with Dhawan (73) and Suresh
Raina (74). India set up a challenging 300 for seven. Pakistan were not up to
it, and folded up for 224.
Disaster struck as Rohit was run
out for a duck by a direct hit from A.B. de Villiers. This time Dhawan (137)
conjured hundred partnerships with Kohli (46) and Ajinkya Rahane (79). India
hit up 377. South Africa could muster only 177.
There was no challenge from the
United Arab Emirates. They collapsed to 102 all out. After the early departure
of Dhawan, Rohit and Kohli brought up victory with an unbroken stand of 75.
Rohit was on the attack. They raised the half-century of the partnership in 8.2
overs. Rohit got to his maiden World Cup fifty in 48 balls. They cruised on,
and finally Rohit clubbed a four to reach the target in 18.5 overs. He returned
with 57 runs to his name off 55 deliveries, having struck a six and 10 fours.
Kohli scored 33 in 41 balls with five boundaries.
Had it not been for skipper Jason Holder’s 57 at no. 9, West Indies
would have been in far worse plight than they eventually were. Coming in
at 85 for seven, he was last out with his side’s total on 182. But their
bowlers hit back. Rohit was caught at the wicket, trying to drive, with his score
on just 7. Wickets fell regularly, and at one stage they found themselves at
134 for six. An unbroken half-century stand between skipper Mahendra Singh
Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin saw them home.
Ireland did well to post 259. But the Indian openers made light of
it. Rohit and Dhawan took turns in hitting boundaries. The fifty of the stand
came in the 9th over. They accelerated, the century partnership
being registered in 14.1 overs. Dhawan reached his fifty from 54 balls. Rohit
raised his own half-century off 49 deliveries with a six high over covers. With
more fireworks, the 150 was on the board in just 20.1 overs. Dhawan was racing
away; Rohit, though, played on to his stumps. His 64 came off 66 balls with the
aid of 3 sixes and 3 fours. The stand realised 174 runs, the highest for India for the first wicket in
the World Cup, in only 23.2 overs. Shikhar Dhawan brought up his hundred off
just 84 balls. He was caught in the covers off the very next delivery that he
faced, having slammed 5 sixes and 11 fours. Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane carried
India to victory with an unbroken stand of 70.
A tremendous hundred by skipper
Brendan Taylor (138 runs, 110 balls) and his fifth-wicket century partnership
with Craig Ervine were instrumental in Zimbabwe posting a total of 287. India slumped to 92 for four in 22.4 overs, Rohit being caught in the covers for 16. Then came a superb unbroken stand of 196 in 26 overs between Suresh
Raina (110 not out, 104 balls) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (85 not out, 76
balls). They took India home with 8 deliveries to spare. India joined New Zealand as the
only teams to win all their six pool matches.
The silken touch of Rohit Sharma
was in full evidence in the quarter-final as they took on Bangladesh. He drove
the first ball of the match from Mashrafe Mortaza to the cover-point fence.
With both he and Dhawan finding the boundary regularly, the fifty came up in
9.3 overs. Dhawan was stumped for 30. The partnership yielded 75 runs off 16.3
overs. Rohit got to his half-century off 70 deliveries. Suresh Raina joined
forces for the fourth-wicket. He raised the fifty of the stand in style,
lofting Shakib Al Hasan over long-on for a six. It came off 8.1 overs. Rohit
was cruising serenely, the singles interrupted by the intermittent boundary.
Raina reached his half-century in 46 balls. In the same over, the hundred of
the partnership was posted off only 13 overs. Soon, Rohit raised his century,
his first in the World Cup, from 108 deliveries. Raina hit out at Mashrafe, but
the ball gained only height, no distance, and when it came down, it settled in
Mushfiqur Rahim’s gloves. His 65 had come off 57 balls, studded with a six and
7 fours. It was a splendid 122-run stand that spanned 15.5 overs. Rohit raised
the tempo. He finally edged on to the stumps. It was a delightful innings, 137
runs from 126 balls, embellished with 3 sixes and 14 fours. India hoisted 302
for six. Bangladesh did not offer much resistance, being bowled out for 193. Rohit
was man-of-the-match.
Australia posted a daunting 328
for seven in the semi-final, courtesy Steve Smith’s
brilliant century and his 182-run second-wicket partnership with Aaron Finch.
Rohit and Dhawan began steadily, and then raised the tempo. That brought up the
fifty in 9.5 overs. Just as it seemed that India’s innings had taken off well,
Dhawan was caught in the covers off Josh Hazlewood. His 45 had come off 41
balls with the aid of a six and 6 fours. Kohli fell for 1. Then Rohit pulled
Johnson for a six. Johnson pitched the next one up and brought it in sharply.
Rohit edged it on to the stumps. He was gone for 34, having faced 48 deliveries
and hit 2 sixes and a four. From then on, India were fading despite a 70-run
stand between Rahane and Dhoni. The reigning champions were all out for 233,
bowing out of the tournament.
Without being brilliant, it was a
successful foray in the World Cup by Rohit. He hit a characteristically sublime
century in the quarter-final and a couple of other fifties. His 330 runs in 8
matches came at an average of 47.14 and strike-rate of 91.66. It was another
impressive chapter in the opening duet with Dhawan.
Rohit was in an entirely different
zone in the 2019 tournament. South Africa continued to struggle in this event
and were able to put up just 227 for nine. While Rohit played a resolute knock,
there were only cameos at the other end. Dhawan was caught behind early off
Kagiso Rabada. Rohit was in full flow but Kohli too parted ways after a brief
stay. K.L. Rahul dug in. Rohit raised his half-century from 70 deliveries. He
was now in control. Soon they brought up the fifty of the stand in 10.5 overs.
Rahul holed out at mid-off off Rabada for 26. The partnership was worth 85 in
16 overs. With Dhoni having joined in, Rohit hoisted his hundred off 128 balls.
The half-century of the partnership arrived in 11.2 overs. Dhoni left after
scoring 34, the fourth-wicket stand yielding 74 runs from 14.4 overs. Victory
was ushered in the company of a trigger-happy Hardik Pandya. Man-of-the-match
Rohit was unbeaten with 122, having been at the crease for 144 deliveries and
fired 2 sixes and 13 fours.
It was a superb showing by India
in the face-off with the holders, Australia. Rohit and Dhawan were off to a
cautious start before the latter broke free. They raised the half-century in
11.3 overs. Dhawan went to his own fifty off 53 balls. The hundred partnership
was posted in 19 overs. A square-cut to the fence took Rohit to his
half-century from 61 deliveries. He nicked one from Coulter-Nile that took off
and was caught at the wicket by Alex Carey. Hit 57 occupied 70 balls and
comprised a six and 3 fours. It was a splendid stand of
127 runs in 22.3 overs. Dhawan went on to hit up 117 (109 balls, 16 fours).
India piled up 352 for five. There were a number of fine knocks from the
Aussies but no really big one. The target was far too huge, and they were all
out for 316 off the last delivery of the innings.
The match with New Zealand was washed out. After the massive
build-up, the face-off with Pakistan was a tame affair. Dhawan’s fine century
against Australia turned into a bitter-sweet one. During that knock he suffered
a thumb injury, which unfortunately put him out of the tournament. It was K.L.
Rahul who now opened with Rohit. The fifty came up in 10 overs. Rohit darted to
his own half-century off 34 deliveries. The hundred was raised from 17.3 overs.
Rahul brought up his fifty in 69 balls. As they were pressing on, Rahul was
caught in the covers. His 57 occupied 78 deliveries, hitting 2 sixes and 3
fours. The partnership of 136 runs in 23.5 overs had set up the match nicely
for India. Joined by Kohli, Rohit hoisted his century off 85 deliveries. The
fifty of the partnership arrived in 8 overs. Rohit was caught at short fine-leg
off Hasan Ali for 140. His superb innings spanned 113 balls, embellished with 3
sixes and 14 fours. The stand was worth 98 in 14.3 overs. Kohli scored 77 (65
balls, 7 fours) as India logged up 336 for five. With rain playing a part,
Pakistan’s target was 302 from 40 overs. All they could manage was 212 for six.
Rohit was bowled by Mujeeb Ur Rahman for just 1, as Afghanistan
restricted India to 224 for eight. Afghanistan were dismissed for 213, with
Mohammed Shami taking a hat-trick.
Kemar Roach brought one in, which took a fine inside-edge of Rohit’s
bat on the way to Shai Hope. This time he scored 18. India posted 268. West
Indies crumbled to 143 all out.
Hosts England put up a formidable 337 for seven. India’s task became
difficult with Rahul dismissed without scoring. Kohli, though, was an able
ally. The progress was slow, considering the task before them. The half-century
of the partnership took 13.5 overs. Kohli was first to his fifty, having faced
59 deliveries. Rohit got to his half-century in 65 balls. The hundred
partnership arrived 20.4 overs. The two matched each other stroke-for-stroke.
Kohli was caught at backward point. His 66 came off 76 balls with the aid of 7
fours. With Rishabh Pant for company, Rohit raised his third century of the
tournament, having taken on 106 deliveries. But after facing three more balls,
he was caught behind by Jos Buttler off Chris Woakes for 102, having carved out
15 boundaries. There were rapid-fire cameos from Pant, Hardik Pandya and Dhoni,
but India could get only as far as 306 for five, a fine effort but in
vain.
If evidence were required that Rohit was in supreme form, it came in
the first over of the encounter with Bangladesh. He pulled Mashrafe Mortaza for
a six beyond square-leg. Rahul too was stroking well. They raised the fifty in
8.2 overs. In the following over, both took turns in hammering boundaries off
Mortaza. Rohit soon breezed to his half-century from 45 deliveries. The hundred
came up in 17.2 overs. A straight six by Rohit posted the 150 off 23.1 overs.
Crashing Shakib through the off-side to the pickets, Rohit went to his fourth hundred in this World
Cup, emulating Kumar Sangakkara’s feat of 2015. He had faced 90 deliveries. It
was a consecutive ton, following his 102 against England. Soon, he was caught
in the covers, his 104 composed of 5 sixes and 7 fours. The 180-run partnership
spanned 29.2 overs. Rahul scored 77 (92 balls, 1 six, 6 fours). India hit up
314 for nine. There was a spirited chase by Bangladesh but they were all out
for 286. Rohit won the man-of-the-match award.
A fine partnership of 124 runs for
the fifth wicket between Angelo Mathews (113) and Lahiru Thirimanne (53)
enabled Sri Lanka to score 264 for seven. Rohit and Rahul seemed inseparable.
The half-century was posted in a matter of 6.5 overs. The first of two sixes
took Rohit past fifty off 48 deliveries. The hundred of the innings was up in
18.1 overs. Rahul brought up his half-century in 67 balls. The 150 was reached
in 24.4 overs. Rohit hoisted an unprecedented fifth century in a World Cup,
being at the crease for 92 deliveries. It was his third successive hundred, and
it equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s record six tons in all the World Cup tournaments
put together. It was a tremendous show by Rohit Sharma, to the jubilation of his
teammates and the Indian supporters. He was out soon, driving into the hands of
mid-off. His 103 spanned 94 balls, punctuated by 2 sixes and 14 fours. The
partnership yielded 189 runs in 30.1 overs. Rahul went on to score 111 (118
balls, 1 six, 11 fours; India cantered to a seven-wicket victory. Rohit bagged a consecutive
man-of-the-match prize, fourth in this World Cup,
equalling the feats of Aravinda de Silva in 1996, Lance Klusener in 1999 and
Yuvraj Singh in 2011. India topped the ten-team table, edging reigning
champions Australia to second place.
New Zealand posted 239 for eight in the
semi-final. India’s fond hopes were dashed by the Kiwi pacemen. Rohit, Kohli
and Rahul were dismissed for 1 run each by Matt Henry and Trent Boult. The
stunned silence in the dressing room turned into dismay as India found
themselves six down in 30.3 overs. There was a fighting partnership of 116 runs
in 17.2 overs for the seventh wicket between Mahendra Singh Dhoni (50 off 72
balls) and Ravindra Jadeja (77 off 59 balls) but there was just too much to do
from the precarious position they had found themselves in. India were bowled
out for 221, bowing out of the World Cup in the semi-final for the second time
in a row. “We failed to deliver as a team when it mattered, 30 minutes of poor
cricket yesterday & that snatched away our chance for the cup,” tweeted a
dejected Rohit.
Personally, it was a
superb tournament for Rohit Sharma. His aggregate of 648 runs was the highest,
averaging 81 in 9 matches at a strike-rate of 98.33. The record five hundreds,
four man-of-the-match awards, and rousing opening partnerships with Dhawan and
Rahul made it a memorable event for him. Rohit is just 22 runs short of the
1,000 runs mark in the premier tournament, having played 17 matches, averaging
65.20 at 95.97 runs per 100 balls, and holding the joint record of six
centuries. Now at the helm of the Indian team, there is much to look forward to
for Rohit Sharma when the World Cup is contested at home in 2023.
(Excerpt
from Indra Vikram Singh’s forthcoming book ‘Cricket World Cup: Hat-trick
of Home Wins’).
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