Adapting skill to conditions key in SA, says Rohit
There’s a lot of pressure always… We’ve won the series but every match is important. It’s crucial to use each and every opportunity. ROHIT SHARMA, on captaincy
INDORE: India stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma said while the T20 series win over Sri Lanka will give confidence going into the series against South Africa, the bigger test will be of the skills and mind.
“It’s always important (that) – when you travel overseas, the last series has an impact. The momentum that you generate, the rhythm of the team, does give a lot of confidence to the team. But once you go there, how you adapt the skill and the conditions remains the key,” Rohit said, after leading India to an 88-run win after hitting a 35-ball century, joint fastest in T20 Internationals.
“Even their fast bowlers will be much different than Sri Lank a’ s ,” R oh it said .“Every tour has its own challenges and every team doesn’ t have the same bowling attack. When you travel overseas, skills and mental approach need to be changed, nothing else. You can carry the confidence you have generated from the recent success in the Test, ODI and T20 series, so as a team we are on a high and the confidence will help us in South Africa,” said Rohit.
The stylish bats man will hope to get a middle-order spot in the Test team. He is in sensational form, having scored a century in the Nagpur Test and a double ton in the Mohali ODI.
Rohit was in sublime touch in Ind ore, but pointed out he lacked brute power. “I know my limitations. I don’t have the strength to hit the ball (far). I rely on timing and try to play with the field. I look to place the ball and find gaps,” said Rohit.
DOUBLE TON DREAM
The stand-in skipper hit a 43-ball 118 with 12 four sand 10 six es, and was out in the 13th over, with 44 deliveries still to be bowled in the innings.
Still, asked if he had a double century on his mind, he said :“Not really. I was thinking of scoring runs, wasn’t thinking of any particular target. In any format, I don’t look to get to a milestone. My job is togo out there and score as many as possible. Not just 100s or 200s or 300s. I go out there to make sure I get my team into a good position. My job is to do that.
“There are times when you don’t get runs. There are times when you get runs. This is all part and parcel of the game. Never do I walk out thinking I want to score a century or a double century. I just want to give my best and get the team a victory.”
KL Rahul scored 89, his second fifty in a row, after getting to play because Shikhar Dhawan has taken a break.
Rohit refused to compare D haw an and Rahul for the choice of his opening partner. “Both are good batsmen but I will be captaining one more match where Rahul will play. After that Virat takes over. He’ll decide who’ll play. The next T20 series is some time away.”
On his captaincy he said, “There’s a lot of pressure. After the first match, there was a lot of pressure on me. In Dharamsala, the team could have folded for the lowest score. After that game, I was thinking a lot about my captaincy and my team. I was thinking that ‘I am leading for the first time and I’ ve been put in this situation ’.”