Opener Rohit Sharma was on Tuesday adjudged Man of the Match after he smashed his 26th One-Day International (ODI) century to help India seal a narrow 28-run win over Bangladesh and clinch a semi-final spot in the 2019 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup.
After the Men in Blue won the toss and opted to bat first, Rohit (104 off 92 balls) not only pulled back his fourth century of the ongoing showpiece event but also shared a mammoth 180-run partnership for the opening wicket with KL Rahul (77) as India posted a score of 314 for nine in their stipulated 50 overs. Rishabh Pant was other notable scorers for India with a 41-ball 48.
While picking up his Player of the Match award, Rohit revealed that he was not aware that his century against Bangladesh was his fourth of the 2019 World Cup.
"I had a great feeling right at the start. It's a great pitch to bat on. The first game against South Africa, I had to take my time. Against England as well, the pitch was two-paced, and they used the conditions really well. There was no question of scoreboard batting first, so that's what I had to do. I was lucky (early on)...fortune favours the brave. I never think about the shorter boundaries when I bat, because my game is all about piercing the field,"ESPNcricinfo quoted the Indian opener as saying.
"Once you are set, the idea is to put pressure on the bowlers. (Four hundreds in one World Cup) Oh I thought I just got a 100 today. My mantra is whatever has happened in the past is in the past. Those in form have to bat long and get the team to a big score. I need to focus on the next game now," he added.
In reply, Shakib Al Hasan (66 off 74 balls) and Mohammad Saifuddin (51 not out) showcased a decent batting performance to bring Bangladesh quite closer to the victory. However, the Indian bowlers held their nerves to bundle out Bangladesh for 286 in 48 overs.
Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers for India with figures of four for 55, followed by Hardik Pandya's figures of three for 60 runs. Mohammad Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar also chipped in with a wicket each.
Overall, Rohit has amassed a total of 8,450 runs in a total of 212 ODIs he has played for India at a brilliant average of 48.56.
