Ruthless Rohit gets his Smile back in style against Australia

Rohit Sharma’s 92 off 56 against Australia in the World T20 League was a masterclass in power hitting and calculated aggression as the Indian skipper showed his ruthless side and reclaimed his smile.

From the word go Rohit was on the attack, taking the fight to the Australian bowlers with a non stop barrage of boundaries. His opening salvo against the pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins set the tone as he smashed Starc for 29 runs in one over.

The highlight of Rohit’s innings was the audacity of his shots. Whether it was the slog sweep off Cummins, the cross batted shot over mid wicket against Marcus Stoinis or the back to back inside out shots over cover against Starc, Rohit showed he can improvise and dominate the best of bowlers.

Interestingly Rohit’s ruthless approach on the day seemed to come from a deeper place. The Indian captain had spoken about the heartbreak of losing the 50 over World Series final in 2019 and his hunger to make amends was visible in his batting.

“It was like he had some scores to settle with the Australians,” said the report as Rohit’s pent up anger was evident in his batting. The smile he got after one of his outrageous shots was a sense of release and closure as if he had let out some of the frustration of that fateful evening in Ahmedabad.

Rohit’s innings was not just about raw power; it was a masterclass in strategic batting. He manipulated the field and conditions to his advantage and made the Australian bowlers change their plans constantly.

Rohit fell 8 runs short of a well deserved century but his impact on the game was massive. He had set up the win for India and given a glimpse into his resolve and his character.

As the report said, “Rohit had got some of his own back against the Aussies. He also got his smile back along the way on a day his team and his fans were smiling all day.”