To each his own is India captain Rohit Sharma's mantra for batting on tricky tracks as he feels there can't be a one-size-fits-all approach, which could be detrimental to the team's greater cause. The Indian skipper has been the team's top scorer with 207 runs from three games, including a superb 120 in the opening Test in Nagpur. It is not just about the runs where he is head and shoulders above the rest of the specialist batters (Virat Kohli is second with 111 runs, while Cheteshwar Pujara has 98 runs), but Rohit has looked very assured while playing the Australian spinners, although a second big knock eluded him.
So what is his method, and has he spoken about it with his colleagues? "See, I think when you are playing on these kinds of pitches you have to slightly stay ahead of the bowler as well," Rohit said in response to a query from PTI on the eve of the fourth Test here.
"Before he (bowler) does anything, you are ready with what you want to do. It should be that kind of a mindset. I'm just talking about me, not talking about anyone else. It's how I approach (batting). I cannot give you the entire detail of how I approach an innings because it won't be right," the Indian skipper said, not willing to share his trade secrets.
"Nagpur was a great example for me as well as to how I wanted to bat in the series. Also, before the series we played a series against England. In that series, I got a 100 in Chennai (2021, second Test) where the pitch was turning a little bit." His methods are exclusive to him as some might take 70-80 balls to get set, while others might want to get going from the onset.
"I try to apply myself, try and do what I'm good at, things like that. You have got to adapt to your strength and it will be different from the others. So I try and stick to my plans, my strength and what I do the best. Stick to those kinds of things." So what will be his message to the other top-order batters? "How challenging the pitches are, how much is it turning, how much is it seaming and all that... we're trying to keep all of that away. Conditions are there for us to play and you've got to find a way to score runs whatever pitches you play on. That is the talk," said Rohit, sounding very precise and clear on what he wants from his batters.
He said that the more challenging the track, one needs to find more innovative ways to deal with it.
"We're just trying to figure more and more methods of coming out on top when the pitches are challenging. So, yeah, every individual is different and they'll find their own methods of scoring runs.
"Obviously, all these guys have played a lot of cricket. You can't change a lot of things in a span of three weeks. You just need to change your mindset." The skipper feels, it's more about the mind than skills, which help one excel in batting.
"You need to adapt to conditions as quickly as possible, the various approaches to your batting. Those kinds of things. More than the skills, it's mentally how you prepare yourself, how you want to tackle the opposition bowlers and what they're throwing at you. So, things like that. I think it's more mental than the skills.
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