"There aren't any signs where you watch him and feel he is not looking good" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Rohit Sharma's century drought

Sanjay Manjrekar is not overly concerned about Rohit Sharma's failure to convert his starts into three-figure scores lately.

Rohit scored 42 runs off 49 deliveries in the third ODI between India and Sri Lanka at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, January 15. The Men in Blue set a mammoth 391-run target for the visitors on the back of Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill's centuries and eventually registered an emphatic 317-run win.

During a post-match discussion on Star Sports, Manjrekar was asked whether it's just more about the impact rather than big scores considering Rohit Sharma's century drought has lasted 50 innings, to which he responded:

"There aren't any signs where you watch him and feel he is not looking good. Runs aren't coming but he is looking good. Yes, eventually you want to see him get the big score because any team that has batters who convert their starts into hundreds and 150 is able to finally get a big score at the end of 50 overs."

The former Indian batter believes not much should be read into Rohit's lack of big runs, explaining:

"So that definitely helps the team. But I am not going to fret too much about the fact that he is not getting hundreds. In the series that he has played here, the short-arm pull was coming around superbly, the straight lofted shot. He was beaten on a couple of occasions outside the off stump, which is not something that happens too much."

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Rohit missed out on a century by 17 runs in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, inside-edging a Dilshan Madushanka delivery onto his stumps. The Indian skipper's last ODI century was a 119-run knock against Australia in January 2020.

"He will be kicking himself" - Gautam Gambhir on Rohit Sharma's failure to score hundreds

Rohit Sharma was caught at deep backward square leg off a pull shot. [P/C: BCCI]

Gautam Gambhir was asked about his thoughts on Rohit Sharma still being the third-highest scorer in the series despite not getting a hundred, to which he replied:

"He still would be disappointed with this series because of the way he was batting. Yes, you want to have that impact but mostly in the T20 format. This is a format where if you are batting well, you can convert those forties and eighties into 150 or 200 and against this kind of an attack. So I am sure he will be disappointed, he will be kicking himself."

Gautam Gambhir: "Rohit Sharma looks in good touch no doubt about that. However, he needs to convert these starts into big knocks."

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Rohit will hope to end his century drought in the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand. The absence of Tim Southee and Trent Boult in the Kiwi seam-bowling attack should help the Indian opener's cause.