England captain Jos Buttler lavished praise on Rohit Sharma after his majestic century in the second ODI at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack. The swashbuckling Indian opener returned to form and silenced his critics with a 119-run knock on Monday as the hosts take a 2-0 unassailable lead in a three-match series. The star batter was put under the scanner after an underwhelming red-ball season where he struggled to get going, but he didn’t take much time to get back to his best when the format changed to ODIs.
Rohit took charge to the English bowlers right from the start, and even a brief pause due to floodlight failure didn’t stop him from getting going. He completed his half-century off just 30 balls and then went on to score his 32nd ODI century.
His knock even impressed English skipper Buttler who said Rohit showed the way how to bat in the ODIs.
“He really showed (that) in this day and age, in the modern sort of way of playing 50-over cricket, it’s very dynamic, very aggressive. He scored at a rate that just confirms really that the way we want to play is the right way that you have to play to try and win games in cricket,” Buttler said in the post-match press conference.
The English team failed to bat the Bazball way in the ongoing England tour, but Rohit has shown them how to do it, which Buttler said is the correct way to do it.
“The way Rohit played showed that the way we want to play our cricket is the way, the correct way to play cricket.”
“It’s probably a nice reminder for all of us that if someone of Rohit’s calibre can be under pressure, we should be a bit easier on ourselves,” Buttler said after their four-wicket loss here.
‘Players on both sides will be watching and learning’: Buttler hails Rohit’s knock
Rohit’s 119-run knock made the 305-run chase a cakewalk for India as they completed the task in 44.4 overs to clinch the series.
Buttler asserted that the kind of innings Rohit played was a lesson to learn for players of both teams.
“He’s been a great player for such a long period of time and top players generally come up with the goods, and he obviously did that today.”
“Any time you’re playing against great players and they’re playing an innings like that, I’m sure players on both sides will be watching and learning. He played a brilliant innings and (displayed) how he can go up and down the gears and absorb pressure, put a lot of pressure back on (the opponent),” he concluded.
