Image Credit- AP
Even the most experienced Indian captains may find it
difficult to perform the day before a crucial match against Pakistan. The game
draws worldwide media coverage and interest. But Rohit Sharma left this news
conference having demonstrated his abilities as a statesman and a cricketer who
doesn’t put up with rubbish. Rohit was able to handle anything with ease, from
the magnificent to the faintly ludicrous.
Let’s get the mildly ridiculous out of the way first,
shall we? Midway through the press conference, a reporter asked him about tears
in his eyes during the national anthem. “What are you talking about?”
Rohit asked. “Tears in eyes?”
There were also severe issues that required tactful
treatment. Playing in a stadium named after your prime minister, one of the
biggest rivalries in sports, in front of possibly the biggest crowd in sports,
practically all of whom are betting on you to win… When does having a home
advantage start to work against you? It is a reasonable inquiry. Rohit paused
to consider the seriousness of the situation.
Then he said: “I don’t think there is any
disadvantage. You feel nice about playing in front of your home crowd. They get
behind you no matter what the situation of the game is. My overall experience
playing, not just in India, even outside India, we get massive support. So, I
have so far never experienced where the crowd has gone against us or anything
like that.
“So, I look at this as a good advantage, big
advantage. But we know that eventually it boils down to playing good cricket. And
whatever it takes to win the game, you’ve got to do that. So yes, you can use
the support, but eventually, you’ve got to play good cricket to win the game.
“All the guys are quite used to playing in front
of big crowds. It can only work in your favour. It cannot work against you. A
lot of the guys in the team love a big crowd, the cheers, the noise in the
ground. So yeah, the boys really enjoy it. Anywhere we go, people turn out in
huge numbers. And that is good for the team and also good for the sport in
general as well.”
There was no attempt to score psychological points
either. “I don’t think it [7-0 record against Pakistan in World Cups] is a
psychological advantage. Because you have to play good cricket every day. So,
it’s important for us as a team that we, as I said, should not pay too much
attention to what is already over. And, we should also pay attention to the
fresh day, the fresh opposition.
“Both the teams will start evenly. I don’t think
there is a favourite or an underdog. Both the teams are equal before they go
into the game. It’s just about handling the pressure, dictating terms.”