India captain Rohit Sharma swam against the current, back into form, after months of tumbling performances across formats in international cricket, hitting a swashbuckling century in the second ODI against England in Cuttack on Sunday. Rohit led India’s charge with the bat as England posted a challenging total of 304 runs on the board. The skipper produced an effortless, show, suggesting that he wasn’t really out of form during the period of a rut. Even while batting in the nineties, Rohit looked unfazed and batted with absolute ease, as if he had gotten the better of his nerves.
With his personal score reading 96, Rohit decided to step down the wicket casually and dispatch England spinner Adil Rashid down the ground for a six. Even his century celebration was a mooted one, with fans highlighting the lack of celebration is down to his recent struggles with the bat. Here’s the video:
Nervous nineties? Woh kya hota hai? #RohitSharma #INDvENGpic.twitter.com/qUlLPT48Bc
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) February 9, 2025
Rohit and Gill were at the forefront of India’s dominant performance, forging a 136-run opening partnership that laid the foundation for India’s four-wicket victory. With this win, India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after successfully chasing England’s 305-run target.
India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after successfully chasing England’s 305-run target.
The victory was even more significant as Rohit rediscovered his form with a blistering 119 off 90 deliveries, earning him the Player of the Match award. He dismantled England’s bowling attack by blending endurance with power, focusing on staying at the crease and adapting to the opposition’s strategy.
“It was good, and really enjoyed being out there, scoring some runs for the team. Important game with the series on the line, but I broke it down to pieces about how I wanted to bat. Longer than T20s and shorter than Tests, and I wanted to break it down,” Rohit said in the post-match presentation.
“I wanted to bat as deep as possible, and that was my focus. Looking at the pitch – when you play on black soil, it tends to skid on a bit, and you have to show the full face of the bat initially. Then they bowled into the body and kept it on the stumps, and that’s where I prepared my plan and tried to access the gaps,” he added.
The presence of Gill and Shreyas Iyer (44) made Rohit’s innings more comfortable than expected. After his 136-run stand with Gill, he added another 70 runs with Shreyas, ensuring India remained in control.
With ANI Inputs
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