Rohit Sharma's masterful century sets the stage for Pakistan showdown

Rohit Sharma plays a shot during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 match between India and Afghanistan, at Arun Jaitley Stadium, in New Delhi (PTI Photo)

The Indian captain Rohit Sharma does not need a second invitation to score on a beautiful batting track. After having faced the ignominy of falling for nought against Australia in the opening match of this Cricket World Cup in Chennai on Sunday, Rohit had his reputation at stake.

He was coming into this World Cup after having scored five centuries in a single edition – 2019 World Cup in England. He received a beauty from Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc that he could barely do much as the ball cut in sharply and trapped him leg before wicket for a sixth-ball ‘duck’.

Against Afghanistan in India’s second match on Wednesday, Rohit and the rest of the Indian batsmen could not have asked for a better batting surface. Though this was not as flat as the one on which South Africa hammered 428 for 5 against Sri Lanka last Saturday at the adjacent pitch, it was still a batting beauty as was evident from India’s eight-wicket win with 90 deliveries to spare.

The Indian bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah (4 for 39) and with crucial breakthroughs provided by Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav, restricted Afghanistan to 272 for eight. The onus was on Rohit and Ishan Kishan to provide a bright start as India were required to score at 5.46 per over.

Rohit and Kishan judged the pace of the pitch in the first two overs sent down by left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi and off-spinner Mujeeb-ur-Rahman. The Indian skipper decided that it was his time to have fun with the bat and went after the poor Afghanistan bowlers from the innings’ third over. So dominant was Rohit that he left his opening partner Kishan way behind.

The strokes Rohit executed were classic ones, pure cricketing shots and nothing unorthodox. Rohit on song is a delight to the eye. He did not have to do anything silly against the Afghanistan bowlers. So true was the bounce and there were no demons on the pitch that Rohit went about his free-flowing strokes, directing the ball to different parts of the fence with brilliant precision.

Anything short was dutifully pulled and sent to the boundary, either for six off spinners and medium-pacers alike, or for fours for sure. While there were pull shots in abundance, the Indian skipper was equally elegant with his flicks and lofted shots over mid-off while steering and sweeping on the odd occasion for well-deserved boundaries.

While he was in full flow, none of the spectators wanted him to stop or bring anything that could change his rhythm. Or so they feared. Some of those who gave importance to superstitions did not want Rohit to change the bat that had, until then, fetched him 78 runs off just 45 deliveries by 11.1 overs. Yet, Rohit believed in going in for a better, shinier bat and went only from strength to strength, reaching his century in 63 deliveries to become the fastest Indian centurion in the World Cup. His 31st ODI century was also his 29th as an opener, the second most by any batsman at this position behind Sachin Tendulkar (45).

Rohit looked unstoppable after posting his seventh World Cup hundred, the most by any batsman in this quadrennial event, pushing behind Tendulkar (6), Australia’s Ricky Ponting and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (5 each).

Having seen off the otherwise threatening leg-spinner Rashid Khan in his first spell, Rohit fell to the same bowler for 131. He was 10 runs away from recording his highest World Cup score (140 vs Pakistan in 2019 World Cup) when he went for a sweep against Rashid’s googly, only to miss the line and be bowled.

But by then, Rohit had played a truly captain’s innings, seeing his team to a position of strength from where it can never lose. When Rohit was dismissed in the 26th over, India needed 68 from 146 deliveries.

Rohit said on the eve of India’s first match of this World Cup that as a batsman, he’d do his best for the team. “For me as a batter, I want to focus on what I can do best for the team, whatever is required, whether it is giving good starts, batting as long as possible. I'll try and do everything that is required for the team,” he had said.

While he got a beauty of a delivery in Chennai, he walked his talk on Wednesday at Arun Jaitley Stadium, giving his team a bright start – he and Kishan shared 156 for the opening wicket with his score being 102 and Kishan, 47. He tried to bat as long as he possibly could. It was a day he did everything that was required for the team, including making the right bowling changes in the Afghanistan innings.

Rohit’s innings augurs well for the Indian team, who next travel to Ahmedabad for the much-awaited match against Pakistan on Saturday. Rohit has certainly got into the groove for that match with a masterly century in Delhi.