I wanted to stay focused and bat as deep as possible – Rohit Sharma on his 119 vs England

India rocked England in Cuttack in the second ODI to secure an unassailable lead in the ongoing three-match series. The hosts were in menacing touch, led by Rohit Sharma from the very front. Sharma’s century, a 90-ball 119, laid the platform for India to toy around with the English bowlers while late cameos and smart batting saw the hosts cross the finish line comfortably enough.

Talking at the post-match presentation, Rohit Sharma, who also clinched the Player of the Match award revealed how he planned to approach the target and time his innings. Rohit shed some light on the conditions while focusing on the importance of his 136-run partnership with Shubman Gill.

Opening up about the game, Rohit said, “It was good, really enjoyed being out there, scoring some runs for the team. Important game, series on the line. I broke it into pieces how I wanted to bat. It's a format that is longer than T20 cricket and a lot shorter than Tests. Still, you need to assess and bat according to the situation.”

He then shifted his focus to the partnerships with Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, adding, “I wanted to stay focused and bat as deep as possible. Looking at the pitch when you play on black soil, the pitch tends to skid on a bit so it's important that you show the full face of the bat. Then they were trying to bowl into the body and not give room so I prepared my plan as well. I accessed the gaps and obviously, I got good support from Gill and then Shreyas.”

Sharma concluded with a note of impeccable understanding with Gill, stating, “We enjoy batting with each other, Gill is a very very classy player. I have seen him from close quarters and he doesn't get overawed by the situation. The numbers are there as well if I'm not wrong.”