IND vs SA | Opening the batting suits my batting, says Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma became the fourth Indian batsman to score a century in his maiden innings as an opener in Test cricket after Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw, of which Dhawan and Shaw did it on their Test debut itself. It was an immensely satisfying ton for the Indian cricket team after the team suffered a scourage of openers who couldn't make themselves accommodate in the alien foreign conditions. Most importantly, it was a satisfying century for the man himself, whose Test career has often been at crossroads despite promising signs in more than one occasions.

"I think it suits my game. Just wear the pads and go in to bat. I don't like the waiting game. You know the bowlers who are bowling with the new ball, so the game plan is easier for you... At number six, the ball is reversing, field placement is different and you need to keep all those things in mind," Sharma said in the post-match press conference, reported Times of India.

"Opening the batting is a different ball game in red-ball cricket. Of course, mentally you have to train your mind more than anything else. You have to challenge yourself to play the new ball and take the game forward."

As has been seen in the Test format recently, opening the batting is as much about mental assuredness as it is about technical superiority. Even yesterday, there was a bit of moisture in the topsoil early on, and going through the first half-hour unscathed was the genuine test for Rohit and Mayank Agarwal. Rohit's understanding of the conditions really helped as he moved on without any visible drop in intensity after that.

"I was very clear in my mind as to what I wanted to do out there. No matter what conditions you play anywhere in the world, at least the first few overs will do something with the red ball or white ball, whatever it is. You've got to focus on basics at that time, playing closer to the body, leaving the ball. We have played so much cricket in India, we know personally, I know what happens after seven or eight overs. The shine of the ball is gone. It's so humid out there. The ball doesn't swing much thereafter. After that it's about playing your game and taking the game forward.

"Because it's a slow and low pitch, it's very crucial you don't get stuck at any point. You need to keep taking the game forward. That is what my thought process was while I was batting. I've played enough cricket in India to understand that. I have played a lot of first-class cricket as well. I know the conditions, I know how difficult it gets once you get stuck. The runs don't come by, the fielders are [saving the single]. So you've got to try and find those gaps," he added.