Back in form with a century, Rohit Sharma reflects on his knock

The second ODI between India and England marked a rather uplifting event for Indian fans and the cricket fraternity. Coming out of a hard-to-forget toil in the Test season, the white-ball series against England has put confidence back in the Indian team. However, despite the 4-1 victory in the T20I series and the win in the opening ODI, a considerable fraction remained unsatiated as their favorites, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, have remained ineffective. Both players have been central to the scrutiny that the squad has faced for the horrid Test season India suffered. Moreover, things appeared unchanged when skipper Rohit Sharma departed for a lowly score in the first India vs England ODI.

"I understand what is required of me": Rohit Sharma overcomes scrutiny with a century knock in the second India vs England ODI

A prelude to the all-important ICC Champions Trophy, the three-match India vs England series brought the needed transition in formats. Meanwhile, the ODI series finally put an end to a long wait for the Men in Blue to hit the 50-over action. India had played only one series since the 2023 World Cup up until now. Meanwhile, the team's last ODI outing, though disappointing as India lost the series to Sri Lanka, had Rohit Sharma playing with a nice touch. In the three-match series in Sri Lanka, the skipper scored two half-centuries while the other batters faltered against the Lankan spin attack. Thus, despite Rohit's utterly disappointing performance with the bat in the Test season, especially the Border Gavaskar Trophy, it only seemed fitting that his form returns with the change in formats.

However, as the action started in Nagpur with the first India vs England ODI, things didn't change for the better. Virat Kohli missed the clash due to a swelling in his right knee. Put in to chase, Rohit Sharma opened the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made his ODI debut. However, Sharma departed after just 2 runs, as it appeared that the skipper had carried his struggling form to this format as well. With Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer coming up with definitive knocks, India took the game home against England. However, Sharma's disappointing knock stirred a discussion about India's chances at the ICC Champions Trophy with the skipper still struggling to score impactful runs.

However, the skipper, the same man famous for his "daddy hundreds" in the format, brought his old self back onto the pitch in the second India vs England ODI. Much to the delight of the fans, the Rohit Sharma who hit bowlers around the park looked like his old self as he took the crease. India was put in a 305-run chase in the match that had Virat Kohli returning to the format. Moreover, Kohli's entry into the Playing XI pushed Yashasvi Jaiswal out as Shubman Gill reclaimed the opening position. The pair of Gill and skipper Rohit Sharma has already proven to be an effective partnership, firing up the top. When the duo reunited, their shared brilliance set the tone for victory in Cuttack.

Unlike the first match, Rohit Sharma appeared confident right from the opening delivery of the chase this time. The skipper took on the English pacers seamlessly as he hit two sixes early in his innings. Gauging the resurgence, Jos Buttler put Adil Rashid into the attack, who joined the league of English bowlers facing Sharma's brilliance. While England couldn't put the brakes on the captain's knock, a halt occurred when the lights in Cuttack malfunctioned. Fortunate for the excellence on the eve, Sharma continued in the same vein after the break as he reached a 30-ball half-century. Shubman Gill, meanwhile, departed after a swift 60-run stand, marking his second half-century in the series.

Rohit Sharma kept up his attack despite losing Gill and subsequently Virat Kohli on the other end. The captain reached his century in 75 deliveries, announcing his arrival in the game again. The fans were happy, but the century also serves a significant purpose in putting Rohit himself at ease. The resurgence looks promising, shaping up just ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, the Indian captain opened up about his innings as he finally got back into the league of runs. Moreover, now with numbers backing his confidence, Rohit reiterated his stance of knowing his responsibility in a subtle dig at the people who criticized him during the lean patch.

"When people have played for a number of years and scored so many runs over the years, that means something. I have played this game for a long time, I understand what is required of me. It's going out there and doing things, what I did today was one of my things," Rohit said.

"In my mind, it was just about doing the things I do, try and bat the way I do. I've been here long enough, so 1-2 knocks won't change my mind the way I bat. It was just about doing your things, I did my thing. Just another day at the office," he added.