Rohit Sharma grabbed the opportunity given to him to open the Indian innings with both hands and came out good to score 83 in the match against England in Mohali ODI and this has given an option to skipper MS Dhoni to try the Mumbai batsman at the top. Ever since the selectors dropped Virender Sehwag from the ODI squad, the one question that has been on the lips of every cricket lover is: Who after Viru? Ajinkya Rahane was the first one to be tested, but he failed to grab his chances. He certainly deserved to be persisted with, but skipper MS Dhoni was more keen on giving Rohit Sharma a try, says a report in the DNA, adding that to Dhoni’s credit, Sharma was kept in the loop about his new role and asked to be mentally prepared.
Rahane’s failures in the last couple of games only firmed Dhoni’s resolve to implement his idea. Sharma’s ability to pick the length of the ball has always been his strong point ever. He was such a special talent that he was roped into the Indian side within a year of making his first-class debut. “We all felt he is someone who can be a really good opener, in the sense he cuts and pulls really well. Also, with two openers, you want one of them to be slightly more aggressive than the other,” Dhoni said after the team’s five-wicket win in Chandigarh on Wednesday.
Meanwhile a report in Deccan Chronicle says that when Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked out for the toss at Mohali on Wednesday ahead of the fourth One-Day International against England, there was some surprise at the line-up he unveiled.
“Hitherto out of favour, Rohit Sharma was the one change in the squad, replacing fellow Mumbaikar Ajinkya Rahane, making it clear that he would be opening alongside Gautam Gambhir. It would be only the fourth time in 87 ODIs he would be doing so. After the game, a relaxed Dhoni looked pleased as punch, at his way his off-field call had panned out,” says the report, adding that Rohit responded to the challenge his skipper threw at him with a languid, almost nonchalant effort of 83 that laid the base for India’s series deciding five-wicket win.
“It also underlined just why the selectors and team management continue to believe in him, and why his numerous supporters around the country to tear their hair in frustration. He promises so much, and more often than not fails to turn up at the party.”
Meanwhile a column in Asian Age says that A win, any win, must come like a ray of light in these dark times for Indian cricket. “Never mind if England were the sacrificial lambs as Team India climbed back to the top spot in ODIs, a format that suits them better than any other. Never mind if Team England have lost 18 games and tied one on their last four visits to the country. The fact that they started well in this series with a win meant they were opponents to contend with,” says the column, adding at the end of the series, Team India can claim a few positives.
“The first is that they have discovered a bowling all-rounder in the expensive IPL star Ravindra Jadeja who can lend a balance to the ODI team. By juggling his place in the batting order, they have even given Rohit Sharma a lifeline after 87 ODIs. Not too many batsmen would have been forgiven a lean trot like eight single-digit contributions in nine innings. The persistence with Rohit shows the batting options are not as many as imagined.”
“Kohli regained a semblance of his sublime form of 2012 and the skipper Dhoni can now smile since he has a series win under his belt, a feat that seemed almost beyond him in the previous year in which New Zealand in Tests were the only ones they could vanquish. Dhoni may seem clueless as a skipper in Tests but there is none better qualified to keep the ODI job until the next World Cup. That was not in doubt even when the team was losing so many ODIs as well as T20s in the year gone by,” sates the column, adding that Team India also found out that two of its virtual third string opening bowlers are up to scratch and that the sun setting on Zaheer Khan’s career is not something that is impossible to overcome.