It was my responsibility to stay till the end in the 2013 Bangalore ODI, recalls Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma went on to score a double-hundred in that game
|BCCI
Rohit Sharma has recalled that it was his responsibility in the 2013 Bangalore ODI against Australia to stay till the end of the innings after Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli walked back early. He also admitted he was constantly thinking of putting the pressure on Australian bowlers in the innings.
Indiaâs series against Australia in 2013 at home will always go down in history as one of the top-averaging run series. Never in one game was there less intensity between the two rivals, both on the field and in the batting department. Both sides had batsmen going neck-to-neck with each other, as scores above 350 were chased with relative ease. With the series locked at 2-2, India needed a win in the Bangalore ODI to seal the series 3-2 in their favour.Â
After being put to bat, India got off to a great start, with Dhawan and Rohit putting up a century-run partnership. After Dhawanâs dismissal, the crowd were dropped down to pin-drop silence, with a third-ball duck for Virat Kohli. Stroking one towards the mid-on fielder, Kohli got himself off and running but only for Rohit Sharma to pull the late plug, leaving Kohli red-faced.Â
âIt was my responsibility in that game after Shikhar Dhawan fell right after the break. After that, Virat Kohli got out, donât know whose mistake it was. But, I remember, I was batting with MS Dhoni and he was always talking to me, motivating me to play till the end. He was telling me âyouâre the set batsman and I want you to bat till the 48th, 49th of 50th over, because you can hit any bowler anywhere you want. So let me take chances, you just take a backseat, take singles, knock the ball in the gaps, and find the odd boundary if you canâ,â he further said
"And I just thought âno yaar, Iâm seeing the ball really well and I might as well put pressure on the bowlers right here, right nowâ. Then I decided to just go after the bowlers. And I remember hitting Xavier Doherty for four sixes in an over."
However, after Kohliâs dismissal, the onus was on Rohit and MS Dhoni to lead Indiaâs innings to a fine finish. Not only did Rohit score a double-century but also put on a fine-partnership with Dhoni to take India to a high-scoring total of 383/6 after the fifty overs. Rohit, further admitted that it was his responsibility to stay till in the end in the innings after the infamous run-out.Â
âIn the Bengaluru ODI too, he was on strike and punched the ball towards the bowlerâs right side. By the time I turned and saw Kohli, he was already there next to me at the non-strikerâs end. He got 100 in the first ODI and was in great form, obviously if you lose him in that fashion, you have to make it up. It was my responsibility for me to stay until the end because I was in great form at that time.âÂ
