‘Time well spent’: Rohit Sharma reveals how long break fueled his strong comeback in Australia | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: After finishing as India’s top scorer in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia, Rohit Sharma on Sunday revealed how a rare long break from international cricket helped him prepare mentally and physically for the tough tour Down Under.Rohit, who rarely enjoyed a 4-5 month break in his international career, said the break allowed him to train at his own pace and focus on what he needed to do for the rest of his career. Go beyond borders with our YouTube channel. REGISTER NOW!“Since I started playing, I’ve never had four to five months to prepare for a series, so I wanted to use that. I wanted to do things my way, on my own terms, and it worked out pretty well for me. Understanding what I needed to do for the rest of my career, it was important to use that time because, like I said, I’ve never had so much time on my hands. I prepared pretty well at home. Obviously, the conditions here and at home are not ideal. There is a huge difference between the two countries, but I have been here so many times. So it was just about getting into that rhythm and understanding what I need to do here,” Rohit said in a BCCI video.
The veteran opener’s patience and preparation paid off in the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where he scored an unbeaten 121 off 125 balls, anchoring India’s chase of 237. Rohit shared 69 runs with Shubman Gill (24) for the first wicket before partnering Virat Kohli (74 not out from 81 balls) to set up an unbroken partnership of 168, saving India from a possible whitewash.Rohit also highlighted the impact of young players like Harshit Rana, who scored 4/39, saying, “Looking at how he played, it was a fantastic effort from him.” His innings, combined with Kohli’s resilience, underlined the blend of experience and mentorship that India still possess.Reflecting on the series, Rohit expressed his gratitude towards the fans and the Australian audience: “Very, very grateful firstly to have people by your side. Every time we have played, people have come and supported, not just the two of us but the whole team… The crowd never disappoints. Unfortunately, we couldn’t cross the finish line in the series, but we enjoyed coming to play here and are really very grateful to the crowd for his support throughout Australia.»Rohit’s performance demonstrated the benefits of focused preparation, experience and patience, reinforcing why he remains a central figure in Indian ODI even after stepping away from Tests and T20Is.
