Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli reveal what makes their batting partnership tick
What's the story?
Indian stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have attributed their keen understanding of the modern game as the biggest reason for their propensity to amass massive partnerships in ODIs. In a video shared by bcci.tv, Rohit was seen having a candid chat with Kohli and even laughed off their recurring run-out problems.
Rohit enthused, "The first few games we played, it did not come off but today (Sunday) I was quite determined to get the partnership going and it was important for us as it was the series decider. We wanted to get a big partnership and (it was) good that we didn't get run out. We had a couple of mishaps in the middle but we stuck (it out) in the middle quite well and rotated the strike. It's always fun batting with you (Kohli)."
Kohli quipped, "Generally when we play together, we don't have to say much because we both understand where the game is going. (We) understand the situation and we both think for the team so it's always great batting with him. We know if we play our game, our team will benefit. It's always amazing to watch him bat from the other end, really loved batting with him."
The context
The dynamic batting duo's fascinating conversation happened at the conclusion of the third ODI between India and New Zealand at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur on Sunday.
The heart of the matter
Seeking their maiden bilateral ODI series victory on Indian soil, New Zealand surprisingly chose to field first on what appeared to be a pretty flat surface. Their decision seemed to be vindicated when Tim Southee dismissed Shikhar Dhawan early in the game. However, what followed thereafter was an exhibition in top-class batting.
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Rohit and Kohli manipulated the field placements quite brilliantly to form a decisive partnership for the second wicket. The duo anchored the Indian innings by supplementing a steady dose of singles with regular boundaries. They created a new world record by adding their fourth 200-plus partnership in ODIs. Both batsmen brought up their respective centuries to lead India to a formidable total.
Even though New Zealand put on a gallant fight by relying on contributions right through their batting lineup, Yuzvendra Chahal's two-wicket spell as well as Jasprit Bumrah's impeccable death bowling helped India pull off a 6-run victory and consequently surge to their seventh ODI series victory in a row.
What's next?
The attention will now shift to the shortest format of the game as India take on New Zealand for a 3-match T20I series starting on November 1 at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi.
Author's take
Even though they have ran each other out on quite a few occasions, Rohit and Kohli have established themselves as a formidable batting pair in the 50-over format. If the duo's consummate ability to rotate the strike keeps the scorecard ticking, their penchant for targeting the boundary also makes them a dangerous proposition for opposition teams.