Simple gameplan, unswerving mindset key to Rohit Sharma's success

"My game plan is very simple and I don't want to change it too much," said Rohit Sharma when asked if he looking to hit out from the very first ball in T20s. And with good reason, too. It was not until the last over of the powerplay that Rohit had started to free his arms. He had a modest 24-ball 22 at that point, but 40 balls later, he had brought up his maiden T20I century. A knock that propelled India to

an above-par 199 at Dharamsala. Unfortunately, it didn't prove to be enough for India.

Rohit Sharma has always had the game. It was how he played it, that mattered to everyone. "I like to analyse the conditions first, assess the situation. Find out where we stand, and then go for my shots. That's exactly what I did. My game plan is very simple - I don't like to change it too much. I have always played my cricket like this - analysing the conditions - what the wicket is doing, what the bowlers are doing - once I know all that, I can take it from there. That's what I did in the 1st T20I," he said.

He had played that knock to perfection - pacing his innings brilliantly. But the right-hander said the runs do not matter now as they did not help his side win the opening T20I against South Africa. "It was a good knock, but we lost the game, so I'm pretty disappointed with that. No matter how many runs you score, unless you win the game, your efforts are not counted for much. It was an unfortunate loss, but I know we will come back strongly."

Rohit also dismissed any notion that he is more comfortable and free-scoring in the limited overs games, while the same free-flow doesn't come out as much in Tests. "There's nothing in particular to be honest," said the opener. "It is the same in all the formats. Whatever the format is, it's always the same mindset - about scoring runs and making that contribution every time I go out there. It has always been an effort to put the right foot forward and get the best out of myself. I cannot really differentiate between the different formats. My mindset has always been the same - it is to score runs and take the team to a victory. There is no change, except in the mentality. You can be more patient in the Tests, whereas in the ODIs and T20Is, you have to go after widish deliveries," he added.

When asked about the team composition and whether Team India should look at going the three spinners way, Rohit admitted that it would make sense to try and exploit South Africa's weakness against spin, but also added that the final call will rest with the captain and the team management.

"That is for the captain to decide. What he feels is the right combination and what he is comfortable with. It depends. We have to play to the South Africans' weakness. We know they are not so good against the spinners. Yes, we also have to learn some stuff from their batters. But we have to wait and watch about what the captain feels," he said.

"I think the captain and the management felt this was the best team to go forward with," he said about the team that lost the opening T20I. "The conditions will differ in different places. We have to wait and see what the captain and the management think about the team composition. Our spinners are experienced enough and they have played cricket for a number of years. They understand what line and lengths to bowl. The pack of pacers we have right now, they have done really well in the domestic circuit and in the international circuit. I know that they do not have a lot of experience, but it's the same with the South African side," he added.

Rohit summed up by saying the team is aware of the must-win situation they face in Cuttack. "We have to win this next game, and to do that we have to do a lot things well. Whether batting or bowling, we have to do really well."