Rohit Sharma Dismissed For Golden Duck: Uttarakhand Pacer Devendra Singh Bora Reveals 'Bouncer' Plan
Rohit Sharma had a disappointing outing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match between Mumbai and Uttarakhand, where he was dismissed for a golden duck.
Indian cricket team star batter Rohit Sharma had a disappointing outing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match between Mumbai and Uttarakhand, where he was dismissed for a golden duck. The spectators at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur were left heartbroken as Rohit's stay at the crease lasted just one ball before he gifted his wicket to fast bowler Devendra Singh Bora. Rohit was welcomed to the crease with a bouncer from Bora; he instinctively attempted to take it on but ended up giving a relatively easy catch to Jagmohan Nagarkoti. After the match, Bora explained the game plan against the veteran cricketer, revealing that he had decided in advance to test Rohit with a bouncer on his very first delivery.
"Our plan from the start, as discussed with the coach and captain, was to bowl a bouncer to him. He plays the bouncer well, and we knew there was a risk that it could go for six. However, our idea was to attack with a bouncer on the first ball. We accepted the risk of a six, as the goal was to create a wicket-taking chance immediately," Bora told PTI.
Despite Rohit's early exit, Mumbai had enough firepower in its arsenal to quell the Uttarakhand challenge by 51 runs. Batting first, Mumbai scored a healthy 331 for seven with useful contributions from keeper-batter Hardik Tamore (93 not out off 82 balls), Sarfaraz Khan (55 off 49 balls), and Musheer Khan (55 off 56 balls).
Later, Musheer (2/57) also did his bit with the ball, snaring a couple of wickets as Uttarakhand managed 280 for 9, largely due to left-handed opener Yuvraj Choudhary's run-a-ball 96. Onkar Tarmale, a surprise pick by Sunrisers Hyderabad, picked up 2 for 40 on his List A debut and looked like a steady third seamer.
The 5,000-odd crowd was in for a disappointing start as their hero was dismissed off the very first delivery he faced. Lanky medium-fast bowler Devendra Bora (3/74) claimed the most memorable scalp of his career when he dug one in short, and the former Indian skipper instinctively went for a pull shot. Jagmohan Nagarkoti, stationed at deep fine leg, juggled the ball before securing it on his second attempt.
While Rohit left before the crowd had even gathered in full steam, none of the 6,000 to 7,000 fans left the ground, waiting instead for their man's fielding session. Rohit eventually rewarded them with a sharp catch at first slip off Shardul Thakur to dismiss opener Kamal Singh. The crowd, in the mood for more, started chanting, "Ek Do, Rohit ko bowling do," but skipper Thakur did not pay heed to the demand. During the 49th over, when Mumbai had sealed the game, Tushar Deshpande asked his senior colleague if he would like to roll his arm over, but Rohit refused.
Earlier, the Khan brothers, Sarfaraz and Musheer, added 107 runs for the third wicket to lay the platform for a big total. While Sarfaraz mainly hit shots square of the wicket-including a big six off left-arm spinner Mayank Mishra-Musheer played mostly within the "V" with straight hits over the seamer's head. Both, however, were guilty of throwing away their starts.
Tamore then took charge, running well between the wickets and using his feet against the two left-arm spinners, Mishra and J. Suchith, hitting each for a six. One was an inside-out lofted drive over extra cover, while the other was hit wide of long-on. His stand of 95 in 10.5 overs with Mumbai's "crisis man" Shams Mulani (48 off 35 balls) proved decisive, even though Tamore narrowly missed out on a well-deserved century.
(With PTI inputs)
Rohit Sharma