Rohit Sharma perhaps hasn’t had the same impact on the longest format of the game as he has had in the One-Day International format. And even though he hasn’t always replicated his sparkling form in the longer arena, bad luck has also played a role.
Sharma hit three fifties in successive Tests against New Zealand last year but got injured for a substantial period of time. In an interview with BCCI.tv, he spoke about shrugging off the disappointment and settling in for the long haul.
“It was disappointing, to be honest, but certain things you cannot control,” said the 30-year-old. “I am glad that I could contribute in that Test series win against New Zealand. But then after that, it was a disappointing injury, I had to miss a lot of Test matches. But again, every sportsman goes through that period of missing out on games through injuries and I kept myself motivated throughout those six months.”
However, Sharma emphasised the importance of having fun during a long injury layoff and not getting to disconsolate about the situation. “Setting goals and thinking about benchmarks will only add pressure to your performance when you are out in the middle,” he said. “You always know in the back of your mind that you have to score runs, as simple as that. I don’t want to take different sorts of pressures about wanting to score runs. I’d rather just go out in the middle and try and enjoy the game because all the opportunities you get, you try and make the most of it and enjoy it.”
Currently, this Indian team has a problem of plenty. There are plenty of options for almost all positions in the batting line-up with players seamlessly replacing each other and putting their hands up. Rohit Sharma has also been in and out of the team but he has made sure that it doesn’t faze him.
“The fight for that spot will always be there whichever format you play,” reasoned the flamboyant limited-overs opener. “I rather not think too much about whether I will be playing or not or which number I will bat. Thinking too much about such things doesn’t work for me. Whatever is in my control, I try and think about those things and it works for me.”
Sharma has an almost similar attitude towards Test cricket. Rather than worry too much about making a mark in the annals of the highest level of the sport, he prefers to focus on the simple things.
“I try and not look into all those things because those are personal accolades and for me, it is important that whenever I get an opportunity, I try and make the most of it and contribute,” he said. “At the end of the day, I want to be a big match-winner for the team, that’s all I am looking forward to and that’s all there is on my mind every time I step on to the field.”