With Rohit Sharma starting the World Cup in fifth gear, CricViz analyst Ben Jones dive deep into the methods behind the India captain’s madness and how India’s batting order has followed suit.
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As India have charged to three wins from three matches, there has been little jeopardy, save for a nervous hour against the Australians in Chennai. On that occasion, the dependable middle order of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul dug the hosts out of a hole, carrying them from an all too familiar 2-3 to victory. But it’s been their other two wins where the real party has started.
The party-starter? Look no further than the man at the top of the order, Rohit Sharma. A six-ball duck against Australia was an inauspicious start, but dazzling innings against Afghanistan (131 from 84 balls) and Pakistan (86 from 63) have seen the Indian skipper light up this World Cup.
This devastating series of displays has not come out of nowhere. In the last two years, largely since assuming the captaincy, Rohit has been a batter transformed. The classic trademarks of his game are still there for all to see – the effortless power, the 360 range – but with a new, revitalised level of intent. The Rohit Sharma we are seeing in 2023, in this World Cup, is a man in a rush.
Since the start of last year, Rohit’s attacking shot percentage has soared. Clearly, he has always been an aggressive player and one looking to put bowlers on the back foot, but there has always been a certain rhythm to his innings, a consistent pace. While his individual shots are things of beauty, and his status as a genuinely powerful ‘touch player’ is rare, there has rarely been a sense of reckless energy to a Rohit innings. A cynic could even go as far as saying there’s been a coldness, a level of clinical process.
Right now, there’s an abandon to Rohit’s play. He is going for boundaries more than ever before, testing the limits of his technique and resolve under pressure. He’s already managed a scarcely believable five centuries in a single World Cup campaign; consistency has merit, but this isn’t just about individual records. This is about trying to elevate his side, to take them to a long-evaded title.
We have seen this optimism before of course. India’s T20 side showed similarly free-wheeling good-vibes in the early days of Rohit and Dravid’s partnership, only to produce arguably the nadir of poorly paced target-setting, as their top three prodded the ball around Adelaide Oval before England blitzed them in return. A year of build-up and excitement vanished, when these new skills were put under pressure in a knockout game.
Now, Indian supporters once again have cause for that optimism, perhaps even more so than 12 months ago, but you still can’t shake that question of what will happen if they are put back in that situation, in that same cauldron.
This week they have another incremental increase in pressure, their victorious opponents from the Old Trafford semi-final four years ago. New Zealand’s new ball attack of Trent Boult and Matt Henry has been potent so far this campaign, and will test the resolve of India’s new approach. Success will prove plenty – how they respond to potential failure could prove even more.
