WTC Final: "He is likely to score big again" - Rohit Sharma's childhood coach on the keys to success in England [Exclusive]

According to his childhood coach Dinesh Lad, Rohit Sharma might have a tough time playing the red Dukes ball when India squad for WTC final travel to the UK next month for the World Test Championship (WTC) final and the subsequent Test series against England. However, Lad believes that Rohit has the technique and temperament to find success in England.

Ever since the home series against South Africa in 2019, Rohit Sharma has cemented an opening spot in India’s Test side. But his litmus test would be to replicate his exploits against the moving ball in English conditions and prove himself dangerous against the NZ squad for WTC final.

Acknowledging that the lateral movement might trouble Rohit, Lad said he needs to be more focused than usual and maximize the practice sessions ahead of the matches.

“He just has to focus harder there, play every ball to its merit because there will be significant movement. But talking about the recent home series against England on turning tracks, Rohit played proper cricketing shots while others seemed to struggle. So I am sure he will adjust his game in England as well because it’s all about adjusting to different conditions at the highest level.

“Yes, he might some face problems because the ball swings in England more than in any other country and you have to be extremely focused in order to handle that movement. But if he faces the quality bowlers that India have during net sessions or intra-squad matches, then it might help him to acclimatise to the conditions better,” Dinesh Lad said in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.

Rohit Sharma was the best batsman from either side during the home Test series against England in February-March this year. He amassed 345 runs at a staggering average of 57.50 in seven innings, including a marathon 161 off 231 balls in the second Test on a rank turner at Chepauk.

Notably, Rohit Sharma made history at the 2019 World Cup by smashing a record five centuries in the showpiece event. Lad attributed the feat to Rohit’s patience and stated that he needs to approach the forthcoming six Tests in the same way. However, he cautioned against the lapse in concentration that has often resulted in the opener's dismissal.

“It’s all about a change in his mindset, his technique has remained the same ever since he started playing cricket. He has understood that Test match cricket is a whole different ball game as compared to T20s and ODIs. He smashed those five hundreds at the World Cup only because he stayed longer at the crease, bided his time for the first 10-12 overs and made up his mind to not play any bad shot, leave the good balls and punish the bad ones.

“Even in Australia earlier this year, the way he batted caught everyone’s eye and he made shot-making look so easy while playing the fast bowlers. He never seemed like getting out, but again, there were a few innings where he threw his wicket away. He can’t afford to do that this time around,” Dinesh Lad, who took an 11-year-old Rohit Sharma under his wing, elaborated.

India are set to take on New Zealand in the inaugural WTC final in Southampton starting June 18 as per WTC final schedule. Virat Kohli’s men don’t have a great record against the Kiwis of late - they were whitewashed 0-2 last year.

However, Rohit Sharma remains the most statistically sound batsman against them. His average of 40.66 is the highest in away Tests against Kane Williamson’s side among the current Indian team. He scored 122 runs in two Tests on India’s 2014 tour to the Trans-Tasman nation.

While the numbers will boost Rohit Sharma’s confidence in the summit clash, Dinesh Lad pointed out that the experience he has gained over the years would double the advantage.

Follow the updated World Test Championship final score here.

“Yeah he might have scored those runs in 2014, in conditions which aided movement, but it is to be noted that he wasn’t as focused and compact in technique as he is right now. So looking at current form, he is likely to again score big against New Zealand,” Lad, who has been coaching at the Swami Vivekananda International School in Mumbai for the past 25 years, added.

Rohit Sharma was the Mumbai Indians’ leading run-scorer when IPL 2021 came to a halt on May 4 due to rising COVID-19 cases in the bio-bubbles. The MI captain scored 250 runs at an average of 35.71 in seven games, four of which the reigning champions won to be placed fourth on the points table.

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"Rohit Sharma is a different cricketer, he doesn’t take any pressure" - Dinesh Lad

Rohit Sharma scored 140 runs at an average of 46.67 in the away T20I series against NZ in 2020

Rohit Sharma and 21-year-old Shubman Gill are primed to be the first-choice openers on the UK sojourn. But India’s immense bench strength means that the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal and Abhimanyu Easwaran are match-ready to fill in as like-for-like replacements.

Will Rohit Sharma face any sort of performance pressure, fearing that he might lose his place to those ready to break down the door? Dinesh Lad is confident that his former ward won’t be bothered about the same.

“No no, I don’t think so. Rohit Sharma is a different cricketer, he doesn’t take any pressure, he knows his capabilities. Competition will only creep in if he flops, but he approaches his game believing he wouldn’t fail and thus there is no question of competition. He doesn’t think about others [waiting in the queue], he is focused on his own performance,” Lad told Sportskeeda.

And even if Rohit Sharma fails to deliver the goods in the UK, Dinesh Lad opined that the team management should stick to the 34-year-old and back him just like MS Dhoni did when he went through a drought between 2009 and 2011. In fact, it was Dhoni’s decision to promote Rohit to open in a 2013 ODI against England that proved to be a masterstroke.

“I would definitely give him more chances because it’s not that he is short on talent. Looking back, when he wasn’t performing in that 2009-11 period, MS Dhoni kept faith in him, backed him and repeatedly gave him chances. Rohit wasn’t picked in the 2011 World Cup squad, but he then understood he needs to give time to cricket and today he is Rohit Sharma because of that,” Dinesh Lad concluded.

Interestingly, Rohit Sharma was facing Kiwi spearhead Trent Boult in the MI nets until the start of this month. A riveting contest awaits in Southampton.