‘I was never under pressure’ – Rohit

Rohit Sharma has laughed off the notion that he might have been under pressure coming into this Test after scoring 82 from the challenging 43 for 4 in India’s second innings. His highest Test score since his two centuries in his first two Tests, against West Indies, all but batted New Zealand out of the Kolkata Test, taking India’s lead to an imposing 339 at the end of the third day. To ensure Rohit’s latest comeback into the Test XI, Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped. After that Test, India have started playing with four bowlers in the side, opting for both Pujara and Rohit.

“As far as I’m concerned, there’s no pressure,” Rohit said. “Every time I play it only comes from the media that I’m under pressure. But as far as I am concerned I was never under pressure. You may have seen me on the field. I’m going to ask you this, do I look under pressure when I was playing? Even in the first Test or the second Test.”

In India press conferences there is hardly any follow-up so this proved to be a rhetoric question from Rohit’s side, but when he walked out to bat India sure were under pressure, after another top-order failure. They were one wicket away from needing the lower order’s rescue operations once again. As a No. 6, Rohit has to be that bridge between the top and the lower order, which he did perfectly in this innings.

“It’s not a typical Calcutta wicket,” Rohit said of the challenges of batting there. “They have relaid the surface and you …

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