Rohit Sharma: The sweet feeling of proving everyone wrong
Rohit Sharma is a white-ball great who didn't have to prove anything to anyone when he re-started his test career as an opener in 2019. Even his failure in the red ball game wouldn't have taken anything away from his legacy as one of the best batsmen Indian cricket has ever seen. But Rohit Sharma likes a comeback story and he loves proving people wrong.
Everything was against Rohit Sharma when he set out to make his red ball record better. The lack of foot movement, the use of his hands and the knack of throwing away his wicket rather than being patient to battle out a tough period. It felt like Rohit had to make some big changes to the way he approached his game.
There is no substitute for hard work and that's exactly what the Mumbai Indians' captain did. He smashed fifties and hundreds against anyone who toured India but that was never going to be enough for the fans of Indian cricket. It still felt like Rohit wouldn't nail down his spot in the Indian test team until he battled his way to big scores outside India.
Rohit Sharma - The all-format cricketer
The first opportunity to prove his doubters wrong came in the form of a tour of Australia but Rohit Sharma suffered an injury setback, much to everyone's anger. As a result, he couldn't play the first two tests but he was always going to be involved in the last two, owing to Prithvi Shaw's struggles.
From the first ball that Rohit Sharma faced Down Under, it looked like he belonged at this level. He looked comfortable and unflustered until he threw his wickets away after getting starts. And so started a wave of scores for Rohit where he looked settled on the pitch until he got out to balls he shouldn't be getting out to. Nevertheless, he showed a lot of promise on the bouncy and nipping tracks of Australia.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma continued to show just how good he is on Indian pitches as he scored an outstanding 161 on a rank-turner in Chennai against England. He had a series to remember as India won 3-1. With the World Test Championship final and a tour of England looming large, Rohit knew there was no time to rest on his laurels.
The WTC final at Southampton was another instance of Rohit Sharma getting in and losing his wicket. But that was all about to change on the tour of England. Despite not cashing in on his starts, it looked a matter of time before Rohit got his long due overseas Test hundred.
It came on a day when India needed it the most. It was Day 3, with overcast conditions, and England had a huge lead. Rohit Sharma scored a brilliant 127, with supporting acts from Cheteshwar Pujara and KL Rahul propelling India to a place of strength from a spot of bother. They now lead the five-match test series 2-1 heading into Manchester for the final test.
Rohit Sharma is one of the greatest white ball players of this generation and the captain of the most successful T20 franchise of all time. Now he is also a player who has proven himself at the pinnacle of test cricket. He is officially an all-format gem.