Consistency is key to any team’s success and opening batsman Rohit Sharma on Tuesday asserted that India can not afford to commit small mistakes often if they aspire to be the numero uno cricket team in the world.
Advertisement
Sharma scored 150 off 133 balls, hitting 19 boundaries in the process, but was unable to guide his side home as India fell just short of their target on 298-7.
Skipper Dhoni (31 in 30 balls) forged a 55-run stand with Rohit as the latter was lucky to survive after wicketkeeper de Kock made a mess of a run out chance. More than his moves as a skipper on the field, his own personal form with the bat is worrying.
Sehwag scored just one run in his other game here, but still comfortably leads the run-charts of highest scorers in the venue. Not just that, his strike rate is slowing down as well, which is the bigger cause of concern. Dhoni is being treated as an invaluable player to the team and as well as a skilled wicketkeeper.
The hundred meant Sharma became India’s top run getter for 2015, with 710 runs at an average of 59.16, with three centuries and three fifties to his name. “We were clear in the last over about what to do, adjusted well in the conditions and it paid off”, said Rabada, who has quickly earned the praise of his teammates after making his T20 debut in November and ODI debut as recent as July when he took a hat-trick against Bangladesh.
The hosts are yet to taste victory since South Africa’s arrival in the country, having lost two Twenty20 Internationals, with the third one abandoned due to rain in Kolkata.
“When you bat down the order, you have to take the blame”.
The Proteas won the first ODI on the back of a de Villiers century, with more than half of his runs coming in the final 10 overs of the innings as the tourists moved from 3-194 to a match-winning total of 5-303.
Serious questions marks are also on Suresh Raina and the abilities of Stuart Binny as an all-rounder.
“Time will tell us what will be the ideal batting line up”. Tahir, with his guile and tricks, were able to fox the Indian batsmen in his second spell.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was caught and bowled with three balls remaining, Stuart Binny hoisted the next delivery to square-leg, and – with six needed from the final ball to force a tie – Bhuvneshwar Kumar could only manage a single. On Sunday, that problem persisted with 109 runs coming in the final ten and 86 in the final six. This is one of the reasons why Dhoni shouldn’t be blamed. Everyone is criticizing Dhoni for the team’s loss against South Africa.
Rohit Sharma is beaten by the pace of Rabada and is cleaned up.
Advertisement
Rohit played all around the park against both pacers and spinners.
