Rohit Sharma opens about his record-breaking 264
Yesterday (14 November 2017) marked the third anniversary of Indian opener Rohit Sharma's record-breaking 264 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens. That match was a crucial one for both Rohit and Team India as the batsman was making a comeback after three months and the Men in Blue were struggling to find a proper opening combination at the top of the order.
The right-hander came out all guns blazing, took his time and then launched an assault on the Sri Lankan bowlers as batted throughout the innings before getting out off the final ball for a 173-ball 264 that included 33 fours and nine sixes.
On the day he scored this historic knock, the Mumbaikar, along with his Indian teammates were present at the Eden Gardens as Virat Kohli and co. are taking on Sri Lanka in the first match of the three-match Test series.
Speaking to BCCI.tv about the knock, Rohit shared what went through his mind before he walked out to bat, while he was batting and after the match was over.
"I am here at the historic Eden Gardens where a lot happened in my life on 13th of November 2014. I still remember clearly what all happened that day. Prior to the match, I was very nervous as I didn't sleep properly. Five-six hours of sleep is never a good idea before a big game. I didn't start my day on a good day. If you don't have a proper sleep, it messes up things. I moved on from that, came to the ground and I can still remember doing warm-ups, taking a few catches before the start."
Also read: SK Elite: Rohit Sharma 264, Sri Lanka 251
"I was very nervous as I was waiting for the toss to happen and Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bowl first. I also remember walking out of the home pavilion with thousands of fans cheering and waiting for the team to do well. It was a wonderful set-up to walk out. I was just thinking about how it is going to pan out. I walked out into the middle, played a lot of balls, took my time at the start and I can still remember that I scored my first fifty off 74 balls (73 balls actually)."
"As soon as I got to my 100, it was all about me making mistakes and getting out. I kept telling myself that I can bat as long as possible and try to get as many runs as possible. I kept batting and didn't try to hit too many shots. As the outfield is really fast here, I was just trying to find gaps and hit the ball through that. I continued to bat and eventually, I got to that 264 score and we ended up scoring 404. After the game got over, I went to the hotel and slept well. It was a memorable day in my life and I cannot forget that. Yes, it is a historic ground and for me, it is a memorable one as it gave me a lot of memories to cherish," he said.
