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June 25, 2011Posted on 06/25/2011 in Batting
Rohit Sharma can learn from Ian Bell
From Akash Kaware, Canada
Rohit Sharma displayed plenty of maturity against West Indies
© Associated PressThere is something deeply satisfying about watching a player translating obvious potential into performance, and I’m sure many cricket fans in India felt that satisfaction watching Rohit Sharma bat in the five-match series against West Indies. It might be premature to say that consistent runs against a mediocre side full of honest toilers rather than fearsome predators is a sign of Rohit finally coming of age. But for a while now, it has been evident that the quality of the opposition comes very low in the list of contributing factors to Rohit’s successes and failures. He has always looked just as capable of thrashing Brett Lee out of an attack as of throwing his wicket away off a rank long hop.
More important than the number or runs he scored and the quality of the attack he faced was the situations he scored his runs in. Twice in the series, he took charge of a wobbling chase and returned to the pavilion undefeated when victory was sealed. All the glorious strokes that had long ago marked him out as India’s next big batting hope were there to see, but the much-needed injection of steel and the ability to adapt to situations was something of a pleasant surprise.
Rohit’s form in the one-dayers makes one wish he was part of India’s Test campaign in the Caribbean as well. A debut against a none-too-threatening opposition would have helped him ease his way into Test cricket. But during the time it took Rohit to find the way he seemed to have lost earlier, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and S. Badrinath made all the right moves and have rightfully claimed their places in the squad ahead of him in the absence of the big guns.
Rohit’s chance in Test cricket will come soon though. And when it does, there is someone from the English camp he might want to look up to – Ian Bell. As with Rohit, no one has ever doubted the immense potential Bell has. Right from the start of his Test career, he seemed to have all the strokes in the book, an immaculate technique and the kind of elegance you cannot practice but are born with. He started his career with a bang, and a couple of not outs against Bangladesh in 2005 left him with a ludicrous average of 297 after three Tests. It was too good to last, and while England rejoiced after regaining the Ashes in the epic series that followed, everything fell apart for Bell personally. Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne toyed with him like a rag doll, but then, they have toyed with many better batsmen than Bell. (Click here for Ian Bell's series averages.)
As if that wasn’t enough, he was cruelly nicknamed ‘The Shermanator’ by Warne, for his visibly timid presence on the field. That series did not completely break him. He continued to score runs, very pretty runs one might add, against all kind of attacks, including against Australia in the 2006-07 Ashes series, but quickly developed a reputation as a fair-weather performer, who crumbled at the first sign of pressure. The fact that his first ten Test centuries came in innings when at least one other English batsman had also scored a hundred did not help matters either. A daft shot in the debacle in Jamaica against West Indies in early 2009, when England rolled over for 51 to concede the series proved to be the tipping point, and Bell was dropped from the side.
The Bell who came back into the Test side later that year was a changed batsman. There were a couple of customary half-centuries against the Australians in the 2009 Ashes, but it was in the series that followed against South Africa that the tide really turned for him. A beautifully-paced 140 in Durban, even though it again followed Alastair Cook’s century, was instrumental in England’s innings victory. That innings was followed by possibly the defining innings of his career till date, an over-my-dead-body kind of five-hour rearguard that saved the Cape Town Test for his team, and finally proved that the pretty boy had turned into a gritty man.
Bell has been a changed man ever since. If ever someone could prove that aggression does not always equate to bravado on the field, it has been Bell. His body language is still quietly confident rather than in-your-face, and to borrow a commentators’ cliché, he has let his bat do all the talking. Since last year’s Ashes series, the English batting line-up has been churning out runs like a well-oiled machine, and Bell has played his part to perfection at every time of asking, not always with mountains of runs like his mates Cook and Jonathan Trott, but with innings that the occasions demanded. Even in the current Test series against Sri Lanka, the second Test at Lord’s showcased his value to this English side. In the first innings, with England wobbling at 22 for 3, he ground out 52 unspectacular runs that laid the foundation for Matt Prior’s assault later on. In the second innings of the same game, with England looking for quick runs, Bell played a charming little innings of 57 off just 43 balls. Clearly, this is a man who knows his game very well now, and can take command of the very situations in which he would have been expected to crumble not so long ago.
Very often, we come across players who we want to see doing well, no matter which team they represent. I must confess, I would be a very happy man if Bell scored four centuries against India in the Test series later this year, provided India wins the series. Rohit has many legends to look up to in his own dressing room, but as someone who has managed to make his mark in world cricket despite being labeled ‘gifted, but soft’ in the past, Bell might not be a bad example for him to emulate.
Posted by: Muhammad Qasim at June 25, 2011 10:39 AM
Nice article! Rohit Sharma is India's future, Period
Posted by: Ruhul at June 25, 2011 12:04 PM
Rohit Sharma is India's future
Posted by: maddy at June 25, 2011 5:35 PM
True Rohit is next batting sensation for india.
Posted by: Surya at June 25, 2011 6:24 PM
Rohit will be next big in world cricket
Posted by: YoBro at June 25, 2011 7:29 PM
Why is this guy not in the Test squad? Unbelievable. Surely we could use him instead of Mukund.
Posted by: Ansab Rasiekh at June 26, 2011 2:56 AM
Rohit sharma is full of talent,match wining and good hitter of ball .,becouse the playr wich play such kind of pitchs where only bolars dominat,it is no doubt he is experniced
Posted by: yuvaraj at June 26, 2011 12:55 PM
Rohit will be a key player to indain team
Posted by: MV at June 26, 2011 5:39 PM
WE been talkin about rohit 4m last 4 years,i think 1 such series againest poor lineup doesnt change anything,let him prove his potential consistantly.
Posted by: Lenin Kumar at June 27, 2011 4:22 AM
One, who has enough knowldge abt crkt can easily say tht Rohit is a gifted player bt the thing is he rarely did justice to his talent at International level(leave d WI ODIs). I'm great fan of him. I always wish he play a winning role in evry match. evry1 must admit tht He did verrrry well in last series.
keep performing Rohit. many, like me hav alot f hopes on U
Posted by: Swapnil at June 27, 2011 6:02 AM
I don't think, that anybody has any doubt on Rohit's potential, and apart from this if we'r talking about his consistency? so his time has been already started, Rohit will ROCK the world cricket.
Posted by: Saiful Islam at June 27, 2011 9:27 AM
Rohit Sharma should have been included in india's test series against WI. I hope he would get a place against England.
Posted by: Waseem at June 27, 2011 9:37 AM
I am really happy to read about bell. Finally his talent is doing talkings for him
GOD Bless U and England Team.
Posted by: Subhash Asthana at June 27, 2011 4:29 PM
Rohith is a promissing player.And I am happy that he got a chance to prove.but of cource he needs to do consistnltly.There is a big rush knocking on the selectors doors.
Posted by: Andy Sullivan at June 27, 2011 6:53 PM
Unfair to comapre Rohit with Bell.Bell was good but not half as good as Rohit.I think Rohit reminds me of Carl Hooper.All the talent and time to play anys shot.But got casual and threw his wicket.I hope he plays when India goes downunder where I think he will thrive.
Posted by: rahulbose at June 27, 2011 7:17 PM
Good analogy Bell and Sharma are same kind of players. They are both overrated players. Some people equate pretty well timed shots to great talent. In test cricket you also need ability to build a big innings and play consistently. Good looking shots and cameo knocks don't make a great player.
Posted by: JackieL at June 27, 2011 10:29 PM
This is a delightful article about two talented players but Bell's career was not so black and white. He had several outstanding knocks in the first "half". A great century against Pakistan in 2005 (away) followed by 3 consecutive centuries against Pakistan 2006 (home). He was named ICC Emerging Player of the Year.
He had a game winning partnership with Strauss in 2008 at Napier, 110, 19 boundaries, 2 sixes. And struck a magnificent 199 against Steyn and Morkel in 2008. In ODIs in 2007 he was MoTS against India with an av of 70. As a younger player Bell was inconsistent but he has matured and since coming back into the side in 2009 he has averaged 69. His top scoring 72 at the Oval Ashes was regarded as crucial to victory. Since his 140 at Durban in 2009 he has averaged 91. It was during the Ashes 2006-7 that Warne sledged Bell as the Shermanator. Bell got 4 50s. He and Cook took Warne apart at Perth celebrated on YouTube "The future of English cricket." How true!
Good luck to Sharma.
Posted by: SRT_GENIUS at June 28, 2011 1:27 AM
@MV: Is this M Vijay ?
Posted by: Sathishkumar at June 28, 2011 2:37 AM
I am fan of Rohit..he is a natural talent..He has the technique to survive in test level.very soon he will start dominating test cricket..ROHIT will rock soon..All the best Rohit..
Posted by: The Sherminator at June 28, 2011 4:03 AM
"Shermanator" is a character in "American Pie" series of movie and Warnie was referring to his looks which are deceptibly similar to Shermanator and was not referring to his timid presence.
Posted by: Gizza at June 28, 2011 10:10 AM
"The Sherminator" is right. Warne didn't know any Hindi when he gave Bell that nickname (pre-IPL). So there is no connection between Sherminator and "Sharmana" which means to be shy and blush in Hindi.
Posted by: junoob at June 28, 2011 4:24 PM
Good article. Rohit should look into the career of Bell. Rohit might have understood the fact that talent alone make you a great player but consistency does. He is the most talented one among the present lot. But he has to grab the opportunity with both hands. He is yet to tread his feet on test arena where he would face stiffer challenge. Hope he can handle it with good presence of mind when the opportunity comes.
Posted by: Mohan at June 30, 2011 9:05 AM
There are lot of differences between Ian Bell's and Rohit Sharma's career. Bell have been constantly getting chances at the top of the order.But Rohit Sharma has been not given chances at the top which must be the ideal position to bat for him.Also he got chances only when some of the seniors are rested.Whenever he played Team loses, and that could have played on his mind so much so that it could have ruined his career.Fortunately he has found ground where he lost domestic and T20 and must be favourite to replace either Dravid or Laxman.He has learned a lot from his senior pro Sachin and this article comes at a time where he has already matured enough to grab the chances he has been given.
Posted by: Ganesh das at July 2, 2011 3:32 AM
I love indian cricket team.
The second sachin wiil be rohit sharma.
Rohit sharma will be a best match winner
if he plays atleast 20 years for team than he can breack the all record which will history . Best of luck...
Posted by: tanuharshit at July 2, 2011 11:02 AM
rohit is a wonderful player
Posted by: Ganesh das at July 5, 2011 5:53 PM
Selectors should consider about Rohit's ability.
Now, Rohit is much better than his past.
we should give a opportunity to Mr. MATCH WINNER(Rohit sharma) to prove himself that he is best .
I realy love Rohit's batting style.He is the future of indian cricket .best of luck rohit for rest of your life.My wishes always with you.
Posted by: SARTHAK at July 9, 2011 6:29 PM
Rohit,no doubt,is a tremendous player.He is a player who plays accordng to d conditn.he has all d talent n potential wid him but d thing is dat he need to be consistent which will probably help the selectors to select.Now let hope for the best n look for england series. BEST OF LUCK ROHIT .god bless u n i am a great fan of u. u r really hot n hndsome. plz rock d world wid once agn a tremendous comeback in england series.Rohit,no doubt,is a tremendous player.He is a player who plays accordng to d conditn.he has all d talent n potential wid him but d thing is dat he need to be consistent which will probably help the selectors to select.Now let hope for the best n look for england series. BEST OF LUCK ROHIT .god bless u n i am a great fan of u. u r really hot n hndsome. plz rock d world wid once agn a tremendous comeback in england series.
Posted by: Ganesh das at July 12, 2011 6:07 PM
plz!Rohit work hard and prove yourself. And make us proud.thank for being a part of indian cricket.wish you all the best....
your one of biggest fan.ganesh.
Posted by: Naresh Patel at July 14, 2011 7:56 AM
ROHIT SHARMA is the next Sachin Tendulkar of India. He needs to change
his attitude. Talented and has good height to face those fast bowlers
who always give India's shorties a torrid time !!!!!!!!
Posted by: D S Nagarkoti at July 21, 2011 6:34 PM
really rohit is a tallented cricketer but consistency shoud be important and its the need of rohit...
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