MUMBAI: : When the media manager introduced Rohit Sharma in pre-match press conference on Wednesday, the Indian skipper hid his face in his palms and started guffawing as if to suggest, “Dude, don’t these guys know me?”
The 36-year-old has been relaxed with the bat in hand or while captaining and he has been receiving high praise for the selfless turbocharged batting approach that he has adopted in the powerplay, often sacrificing statistical glory for a higher team goal. When asked if he needs to be more selfish, as suggested by former players and bat longer, Rohit’s face went through the contortions that they usually go through when he answers a tricky question.
“Aisa nahin ki mujhe sirf bat ghumana hain. Acchi tarah se ghumana hain. I want to put the team into a good position. When I open, I always remember that the scoreboard starts from zero. When you start, you can be fearless and play the way you want, but in the last game, we were put under pressure in the power play. We lost three wickets. So, the game had to be changed. As a batsman, my focus is on what the team needs.”
The captain has also been praised for his leadership and bowling changes and subtle field placements, but he doesn’t want to get sucked into all the praise. “You read the situation, the scoreboard and try and make the right moves. Sometimes, things work, sometimes, they don’t. You must be prepared for that. If I know that whatever calls we make, it is in the best interests of the team, it’s fine. I know how this whole thing works, one bad game and I will become a bad captain.”
India have won five games chasing and the Wankhede, at least in IPL, has been a great chasing ground. But in this World Cup, South Africa batted first, batted big and won against both England and Bangladesh.
1/10:World Cup: Red-hot India take on Sri Lanka with an eye on semis slot
IANS
2/10:India's unbeaten run
Team India has displayed traits of being a champion side with the knack of staging remarkable fightbacks.ANI
3/10:Shami's impressive performance
Mohammed Shami has provided a selection headache with his impressive performance, taking nine wickets in two appearances.AFP
4/10:Concerns about Gill and Iyer
Both Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer are yet to make a strong impact in the World Cup, raising concerns about their performance.AFP
5/10:India's leading run-scorer
Rohit Sharma, India's leading run-scorer in the World Cup, will aim to make more memories in front of his home crowd.PTI
6/10:Sri Lanka's young brigade
Sri Lanka's young brigade should make the most of facing a high-quality opponent in its pomp.Reuters
7/10:Samarawickrama's fine run
Sadeera Samarawickrama has had a fine run in the World Cup, being Sri Lanka's leading run-scorer.Reuters
8/10:Nissanka's impressive performance
Pathum Nissanka has scored more than a thousand ODI runs this year and is one to watch out for in the World Cup.ANI
9/10:Captain Mendis and Mathews
Kusal Mendis remains Sri Lanka's best batter, while Angelo Mathews has already put in a match-winning performance.Reuters
10/10:Sri Lanka's bowling challenge
Sri Lanka's bowlers will hope to put up a fight against India's rampant batters in perfect batting conditions.ANIThe skipper, along with the coach Rahul Dravid were seen having a long chat with the curator, trying to assess the pitch.
When asked what he would do on match-day, if he wins the toss, Rohit said, “I don’t want to say what we’re going to do tomorrow. It’s a ground where things can be unpredictable at times as there’s so much in it for the bowlers as well. You can see a top spell coming from the bowlers, rattling the opposition. If the bowlers put the ball in the right area, it can be difficult. Everyone gets value here, the bowlers, spinners as well, and the batters.”
The heroes with the ball in the win over England in Lucknow, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami did not train in the optional nets on either Tuesday or Wednesday, giving rise to theories that India, having 12 points in the kitty and almost being through to the semis, were planning to rest them and bring in R Ashwin, who had a long bowl on Tuesday.
“You can still play with three spinners and two seamers if need be. In this World Cup, you’ve seen spinners are the ones who are stopping the run flow in the middle overs. I am keeping my options open whether we have Hardik back or not. As far as the resting for the bowlers are concerned, I think they are in great rhythm now. They don’t want to rest."
'IMPORTANT THAT OUR KIDS LIVE WITHOUT FEAR'
On his flight from Lucknow to Mumbai, Indian skipper got on the Gram and posted a picture of the Mumbai haze on his story with the words, "Yeh kya ho gaya Mumbai ko. (What has happened to Mumbai)."
The rampant construction and redevelopment projects in the city have made the air toxic and the falling AQI levels have caused respiratory ailments in many citizens. Rohit addressed the issue on Thursday. "In an ideal world, you do not want a situation like this, but I am pretty sure that the concerned people are taking all the necessary steps. Looking at the future generations, your kids, my kid, it is important that they get to live without any fear."
Sri Lankan coach Chris Silverwood said, "We can only play in the conditions that are there, so we have got to prepare for them, make sure we are ready for any conditions that we may come."
Meanwhile, the BCCI said on Wednesday that their will be no fireworks at matches in Mumbai and New Delhi due to high pollution levels in both cities.
