Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar hailed Rohit Sharma’s approach after he scored a fine century in the second ODI against England at the Barabati Stadium, Cuttack on Sunday. India registered a four-wicket win while chasing 305 runs and took an impregnable lead of 2-0 in the series.
Rohit has been under scrutiny for his poor form in the recent past and Manjrekar noted that this hundred will do a world of good to the Indian captain.
Rohit scored a majestic knock of 119 runs off just 90 balls with the help of 12 fours and seven sixes as he looked at his previous best. The Indian opener brought his 32nd ODI century off just 76 balls with a six against Adil Rashid.
Despite scoring at a strike rate of 132.22, Manjrekar believes Rohit wasn’t as aggressive as he was during the 2023 ODI World Cup. Manjrekar said this century for more about Rohit Sharma than the team.
Sanjay Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo, “People who are big brands in India, they feel that pressure of expectation. It’s not just about getting your 40s and 50s that he was doing during the World Cup. Somewhere, there’s an expectation of a hundred. It’s like a certificate of you being in form. This format allows you to take that monkey off your back. You saw the way he did it. He wasn’t as attacking as he was during the World Cup.
“Still, when he decides to pace his innings, it’s just incredible how easily he does it. [He was] very selective in the way he played his shots. So, finally that question was answered. I have a feeling in the next match he will play again in the way that he thought was best for the team. This one was more for himself. Obviously, one that wanted the team to win. But this is one that he’ll say, this one is for me,” the 59-year-old added.
Rohit was also awarded the Player of the Match for his match-winning knock. The final and third ODI between India and England will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
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