India have been in marauding form in South Africa so far. The batting, bowling and fielding has come good in the past two games. If there is a chink in the armour, then it is opener Rohit’s form in the African nation.
In 10 innings in South Africa, Rohit averages just 13.44. He has played three ODI series in the country, with his highest score being the 23 in 2010. In the two games in this series he has scores of 20 and 15.
His poor run in South Africa isn’t restricted to just ODIs. In Tests, he averages just 15.37 from eight innings. A lot more is expected from Rohit, who was in tremendous form prior to landing in South Africa. In the year leading upto the tour, he averaged 66.40 in ODIs.
He had shown some application while scoring 47 in the second Test in Centurion, but that came in a Test, which labeled to be an “Indian” pitch.
He was dropped for the third Test in Johannesburg, and has struggled to score a big knock in the subsequent two ODIs.
His opening partner Shikhar Dhawan, though, feels there is no reason for concern. The Delhi lad feels all Rohit needs is one fine innings, which he thinks should come any time soon if one is to consider his form over the past one year.
“He was batting well in the last match,” said Dhawan, while addressing the press ahead of the third ODI against South Africa in Cape Town on Wednesday.
“It was unfortunate that he got out. I don’t think there’s any concern. Sometimes it happens that players don’t score.
“But I don’t think there is a problem. He has been batting well since the Champions Trophy to now. I feel the way he’s timing the ball that’s what matters the most,” he added.
Sound top-order
Rohit’s lack of runs, though, haven’t caused India much strain in the series so far. Dhawan feels the key to the team’s success so far has been their ability to not lose wickets at the top of the order.
“Of course, the South African fast bowling is very strong, but we are playing them nicely,” he said. “When it crosses 10 overs, the ball gets old and we are dominating after that.”
Dhawan, though, feels India are focused on the task at hand and isn’t worried of complacency creeping into the ranks.
“I don’t think we are getting complacent. It’s a big series for us,” he said. “South Africa played very well in Test series, so we will try and go as hard as possible [in the ODIs] and go all the way.
The 32-year-old also believes the advantage lies with India going into the third match on Wednesday, with the visitors leading 2-0. He feels South Africa’s batsmen struggled against India’s wrist spinners and this will once again play a major role during the proceedings in Cape Town where the prevalent drought is likely to result in a dry pitch.
“Playing wrist spinners is tricky as they can find turn even on a flat track,” said Dhawan. “They can create doubt in minds of the batsmen. Reading them is difficult, especially Kuldeep, who is a chinamen bowler. Chahal too has a googly that many struggle to read.”
South Africa’s struggles with wrist spin are likely to affect them mentally, said Dhawan, adding that the opposition batsmen would once again adopt a cautious approach.
“They are losing wickets in the middle. So they are not managing to set a suitable target,” he said. “Obviously it is a mental thing. Your thinking is changed. If there’s confusion and doubt then it shows in your batting. I doesn’t matter who the batsman is. If they can’t handle the spinners, then they’ll be cautious against the spinners, so we’ll be at an advantage at such times.
Balanced outfit
The opening batsman feels the balance of the Indian team has helped them play confidently in the alien conditions. The inclusion of all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the mix has handed the team flexibility that it lacked on earlier tours overseas.
“Our team is balanced,” said Dhawan. “There’s a good mix of experience and youth. Even the youngsters are playing with maturity. That’s a major strength for our team.
“We have a good all-rounder, so that has brought a balance in overseas condition. There’s a flexibility in the side. So we go according to the situation, we can bring the spinners later. So that’s an X-factor.
Dhawan, who scored an unbeaten 51 in the previous game, said he was confident of improving on his individual performance. He stated that he utilised the time on the sidelines to his advantage by training hard and working on ways to dominate the bowlers.
“My form was good even when I wasn’t playing,” Dhawan said. “I increased my fitness regime during that time. Utilised the time to work on my game and the challenges that would face me here. Thinking of what the opposition would try to figure out ways to get me out and try and combat them,” he added.
