Rohit Sharma - A Batsman Who Gives Full Expression To His Potential

Rohit Sharma’s isn’t a story about a method in the madness; it is all about a brilliant batsman who is supremely talented and gives full expression to his potential in limited-overs cricket.

- K. C. Vijaya Kumar

Opening batsmen are supposed to befire-proof barn doors. They have tocounter fresh fast bowlers itching to knock off the batsman’s head or his stumps. These special willowwielders are the first to draw inferences about the pitch and they relay these deductions back to their mates in the dressing room.

Caution, a watchful eye, a strong will to rein in the adrenaline and stop motor memory goading the hands to free up and have a mighty hit are all intrinsic to the art of being the inaugural batsman from among the playing eleven. The opener steps out to face the new ball either on a first-daymorning or a second-day post-tea session, when the shadows lengthen and the opposition fielders form a tight mesh.

It isn’t easy, and that’s why if an average of 50 is deemed excellent for amiddle-order player, a 40 per innings for the men who sit atop the batting tree is considered splendid. Even a 35-plus, if it is over an extended career, is deemed fine, like it did for former England captain and current wordsmithMichael Atherton. In 115 Tests, he scored 7,728 runs at an average of 37.49.

The classical template is about possessing a rigid defence, and the trait of flair wasn’t considered essential. The great Sunil Gavaskar fitted into that rarefied zone, though he did have a biff when he wanted. Amongopeners, he is the gold standard. But over the decades, the perception has changed, and within India emerged K. Srikkanth, bat-twirler, nose-twitcher and above all an aggressive batsman who, as Imran Khan once told Ravi Shastri, could slamaperfect delivery for six and thenblock the innocuous full toss.