Rohit decodes his approach for blistering century, commends "classy" Gill for not being overawed by situation - World News Network

Cuttack (Odisha) [India], February 10 (ANI): India captain Rohit Sharma shared insights into his approach after scoring a swashbuckling century in the second ODI against England in Cuttack. The seasoned opener reflected on his experience of batting alongside Shubman Gill, whom he described as a “very classy player.”
Rohit and Gill were at the forefront of India’s dominant performance, forging a 136-run opening partnership that laid the foundation for India’s four-wicket victory. With this win, India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after successfully chasing England’s 305-run target.
India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after successfully chasing England’s 305-run target.
The victory was even more significant as Rohit rediscovered his form with a blistering 119 off 90 deliveries, earning him the Player of the Match award. He dismantled England’s bowling attack by blending endurance with power, focusing on staying at the crease and adapting to the opposition’s strategy.
“It was good, and really enjoyed being out there, scoring some runs for the team. Important game with the series on the line, but I broke it down to pieces about how I wanted to bat. Longer than T20s and shorter than Tests, and I wanted to break it down,” Rohit said in the post-match presentation.
“I wanted to bat as deep as possible, and that was my focus. Looking at the pitch – when you play on black soil, it tends to skid on a bit, and you have to show the full face of the bat initially. Then they bowled into the body and kept it on the stumps, and that’s where I prepared my plan and tried to access the gaps,” he added.
The presence of Gill and Shreyas Iyer (44) made Rohit’s innings more comfortable than expected. After his 136-run stand with Gill, he added another 70 runs with Shreyas, ensuring India remained in control.
Gill also had a point to prove after a rough patch in Australia. He capitalised on a strong start, scoring a swift 60 off 52 deliveries, continuing his fine ODI form.
“Got very good support from Gill and Shreyas as well. Enjoy batting with Gill. Very classy player and doesn’t seem to get overawed by the situation, and the numbers are there as well, if I’m not wrong, for Gill,” he added.
It wasn’t all sunshine and roses for India. They had to go through the rain after England’s opening pair, Ben Duckett and Philip Salt, blew the hosts away in the powerplay by hammering 75 runs.
Duckett was the aggressor, while Salt stayed more cautious in the first phase. India needed to control damage and introducing the spinners was the perfect way to achieve it.
Ravindra Jadeja (3/35) and debutant Varun Chakravarthy (1/54) kept a lid on England’s scoring rate while threatening to force a breakthrough at crucial junctures. Rohit understood the value of the middle overs, which tipped the scales in India’s favour after facing an initial setback.
“The middle overs are quite important, and that’s where the game can go either side. If you squeeze the middle overs, you need not worry much about the death. The middle overs are very crucial, and even in Nagpur, we squeezed them and got wickets,” Rohit said.
“When you keep taking wickets, the run-scoring is not easy. We want to keep getting better as well. Nothing specific we want to work on, but overall, we want to keep getting better as a player and team. That is what we want to do. As long as guys are clear about what they are supposed to do, if they keep doing that, not much to think about,” he added. (ANI)

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