Image Source- AFP
Fireworks exploded through the walls as Rohit Sharma
waited anxiously for his post-game news conference. Rohit Sharma had been
grinning for the majority of Sunday’s brief Asia Cup final, which resulted in
India winning their first international competition since September 2018.
The Asia Cup was also taking place at the time in
Dubai, where Rohit had been filling in for a rested Virat Kohli. But this one
was different, not the least because Rohit’s captaincy legacy may be decided in
the coming months.
India had a few unanswered questions going into the
competition. With questions around KL Rahul’s fitness, India didn’t fully know
who their first-choice wicketkeeper was until a week before the tournament, in
contrast to 2018, when MS Dhoni was the entire and soul behind the stumps.
Ishan Kishan had to play the first two games for India because he initially
developed a “different niggle” from the one for which he was
receiving rehabilitation. When Shreyas Iyer, who was also returning off a lengthy
injury break after back surgery, pulled up with back spasms, they had still
another problem to deal with.
“It’s so tough when you have to come back like
that,” Rohit said. “Five minutes before the toss, we told him he’s
playing. An unfortunate incident happened [Iyer’s back spasm] and KL had to
come in and play. To get a hundred like that shows the quality of the player,
how mentally he’s ready for the challenge. We want players to stand up in big
moments and in big pressure situations and a lot of the guys stood up.”
Before the trainer sent him a message, Rohit was so
taken by Siraj’s work that he was inclined to keep bowling him.
“I was surprised with the pitch,” Rohit
said. “It was pleasing to watch from the slips. The guys were bowling
quick, all three pacers [Jasprit Bumrah being the third] bent their back really
well. Siraj got it to bend more than the other two guys. Every day everyone
can’t be a hero, you’ll find new heroes everyday and today was Siraj’s day.”