I have long felt, and it is a view that the international cricket community subscribes to, that Rohit Sharma is a very rare, a very special talent. Still only a young man, he has had time to learn, to make mistakes on the field, even occasionally to experience the impact of a touch of cockiness. His selection two or three years ago was one of many excellent ones by the selection committee under Dilip Vengsarkar. Knowing when to pick is a key element in developing talent and I believe Sharma is now benefitting from having been selected at the right time, early.

There is a fear that he sometimes gets carried away and plays shots that he might just have held back a touch. It is a poor argument because it is based on hindsight. At 55 from 30 balls, we would applaud a six as a sign of confidence but berate him for recklessness if the same shot landed a metre short. With Sharma, as with Raina and Sehwag and Yuvraj and Gambhir, you sit back and enjoy, not get frustrated because they are not playing the way you want them to. It is a different generation; ideas of restraint and conformity and frugality have long been replaced, having a dark side is not worth a sleepless night, the first ball can be hit over mid-wicket from just behind a good length.

I still believe India are the batting side of the tournament, with South Africa and Australia just there, but there is still a dependence on a good start. That is why the continued absence of Sehwag is a bit worrisome. And India have problems with the ball, in the first few overs and the last two or three. Against Pakistan almost 85 were leaked in 7 overs at either end of the innings and Dhoni now has to find two finishers. His best bowler so far, Ishant Sharma, hasn’t always seemed to relish bowling at the death and there is no swing for Irfan Pathan and RP Singh. When those two bowl in straight lines, they are half the bowlers they are when they bowl in curved lines. The length ball that swings is a good one, the length ball that doesn’t is one for the scorer.

... contd.