India’s win in the third T20 match against New Zealand on Wednesday came in melodramatic fashion. The match got extended into the Super Over after the two teams were tied on scores at the end of 20 overs each. In itself, this had provided enough thrills and spills, but there was more to come.
Batting first in the Super Over, New Zealand made 17, which was a fairly good score even in this format. Tim Southee, his team’s most experienced bowler, was entrusted the task of keeping the Indian openers on a leash.
Despite a shaky start to the over, it appeared Southee had got his nerves under control. India now needed 10 off two deliveries. Possible, but tough. Very tough. But that’s not how Rohit Sharma, the batsman on strike, saw it.
What he saw when Southee bowled the fifth delivery was a fullish length delivery around the off-stump, got under it and hit it high and over the long on boundary for a breathtaking 6.
The pressure now was entirely on Southee. His next delivery was again fullish, aimed further in at the batsman’s legs. Sharma got under this one too and, playing inside out, hit it over long off this time for 6 to clinch a sensational victory for India.
India in fact had two heroes on the day. Rohit Sharma, who finished the match in grand style. But no less important was Mohamed Shami, who bowled the 20th over of the New Zealand innings when the home team needed just 9 to win. Shami denied them that, in fact conceding just 1 run off his last four deliveries!
Sharma was to highlight this in the post-match press conference, saying there would have been no Super Over and he would have had little chance of becoming man of the match had Shami not put the shackles on New Zealand at that crucial time.
That said, Sharma compels the greater attention. His brilliant and lusty strokeplay and capacity to play big innings have seen his stock in cricket rise sharply over the past 12-odd months. His current raging form is redefining his own career from a good batsman into a great one.
This has big implications for Indian cricket, and in all formats. Sharma’s prowess in white ball cricket has come through consistently. In ODIs, in T20s, in the IPL, he has been among the biggest scorers in the world.
With 5 centuries in the ODI World Cup last year, Sharma took his career and reputation a couple of notches higher. But it was his success as opening batsman in Test cricket, that has given his career a dramatic and meaningful twist.
Doubting Thomases were in abundance when it was announced that Sharma would open the innings against South Africa, when this home season began. While everybody agreed on his talent, his temperament for 5-day cricket was questionable, the doubters argued.
The skepticism was not entirely unfounded. After centuries in his first two Tests, Sharma’s career in red ball cricket had been on-off as he struggled to show the consistency which would make his place in the side secure. At 32, Sharma’s Test career was in limbo. Precariously.
He was a trifle lucky in that Shikhar Dhawan and K L Rahul, both of whom had opened the innings for India in Tests, were out of contention: Dhawan because he hadn’t recovered completely from the injury suffered in the World Cup, Rahul because of the inability to convert decent starts into meaningful scores.
The Indian team management – particularly chief coach Ravi Shastri – had been discussing informally with Sharma about playing as opener. Sharma had reservations earlier, but more confident after his glorious run in the World Cup, was not going to let go of the opportunity now.
Against South Africa, he scored 500-plus runs in just 3 Tests. The transition from middle order batsman to opener had been hassle-free for him and transformational for the team. Sharma is now regarded as the most dangerous batsman in the game, and with Mayank Agarwal forms one of the best opening partnerships in the game.
In the 6-months since, Sharma has served up several reminders – in all three formats – why he is special. He has the gift of timing, a wide and scintillating range of strokes, the power to clear the boundary at will, and is arguably the most attractive batsman in the world.
What’s perhaps more important from the Indian team’s perspective is that Sharma is not only far more confident about his talent, but is also enjoying the responsibility which comes from being a senior pro entrusted with winning matches.
This is the hallmark of all great players, the commitment and ability to merge own interests with those of the team. In the last year, Sharma seems to have made the cut.
The writer is a senior journalist who has been writing on the sport for over 40 years.
