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The mindset and preparation behind Rohit’s Oval magnificence

By Mumbai Indians

First, he broke into the top-five in the World Test rankings for the first time in his career, then he served fans and critics a visual treat at the Oval with a century, leaving us in awe of him - what a fantastic last couple of days Hitman Rohit Sharma has had!

To top it all off, he crossed five personal milestones as well on the way to his splendid 127 (256) in the second innings in the ongoing Test match against England at the Oval.

“I knew rewards would come, but it would take time”

Not to mention, this was Rohit’s first overseas Test century, and it took him over eight years and 47 innings to get here. The feeling must have been sweet, indeed. At the end of the third day of the Test, he opened up about his mindset during the game, the preparations for it and more.

“This Oval ton holds a lot of value. It has come in testing conditions against a quality bowling attack. It’s not like you come in here (England) and get a hundred. It’s a process. It takes time. When you’re playing overseas, it’s never easy. I had a lot of chats with players who have come in here and done well. I knew the rewards would come, but it would take time. I was very patient,” Rohit said.

Rohit, who now has 9 international centuries in England, the most for an Indian there, said, “Most importantly, it’s discipline. When I started opening, I knew all those big scores were not just going to happen. I had to keep ticking the small boxes in order to get a big one.”

“I knew I had to put in my best effort”

“You can’t come to a place like England and play shots. There were little adjustments I had to make based on the situation and conditions, certain types of bowlers. It was an enjoyable process.”

“Most pleasing was that I was able to play 250 balls. If you look at Tests on this tour, I have played nearly 100 balls in every innings. That to me was a goal, see how I can stay on the pitch for as long as possible.”

“Once you do that, things start to get easier. It’s discipline. Leaving the ball, solid, tight defence. Spending time has been my biggest takeaway. I don’t mind looking ugly at times as long as I get the job done. When I came here for the World Test Championship final, I knew I had to put in my best effort however I could, whatever it takes.”

“It would have been my last opportunity if I hadn’t succeeded”

“At the back of my mind I knew this was my last chance. I batted in the middle order but things didn’t go as per the way I wanted to. When you are playing a sport, you always have to take those chances, those risks. It would have been my last opportunity if I hadn’t succeeded. I was mentally prepared.”

Let’s not forget Rohit’s first match as a Test opener - 176 and 127 - against South Africa at Visakhapatnam, just less than two years ago. He surely looked like he had so much more to give at top, both as a Test player and as a Test opener.

This knock at The Oval has been the biggest testimony to it. With the amount of cricket that is yet to come, we are sure to see more big knocks from the Hitman!