India vs England: Positivity and karma on view as Rohit Sharma WHACKS trolls and Englishmen

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Rohit Sharma must have heard a hearty laugh on return to his hotel room on Sunday night. Like a heavyweight pugilist inflicting a KO (knockout) on his opponents and walking out of the roped boxing ring, Hitman devastated the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.

It is one thing for the ground staff to clear dirt and debris and quite another to clean the mess left behind by Rohit's wild bat blade where the CEAT logo was sign, he is seated well as skipper.

For all the trolls, for all the vitriol and pungent stuff which Hitman has faced since the second Test in the BGT Series Down Under, his rebirth of sorts at the historic stadium in Cuttack was defining. The hard work Rohit has put in to get here, still be a master blaster in this form of white ball cricket leaves you in awe and admiration. When he had to almost say goodbye in the Sydney Test and pack up, he was emotional.

Thanks to the TV interview he did, thanks to his well-wishers, which number in lakhs, thanks to his cricket skills, hand-eye coordination and the anticipation he still has, Rohit is still dynamite. The way he exploded, first causing the lights to blank out in the stadium was a bit of a joke. They say, the final flicker is always brighter before a lamp blows out.

Well, Rohit not just flickered, he burnt the Englishmen. The 'belt treatment' given to the Englishmen was painful, where Mark Wood was made to look like a net bowler. So many more suffered, as Rohit was robust and showed he can create the geometry in his shot production. On a wicket where Rohit played like lightning, the shot execution was perfect.

For all those have been raving about the Coldplay concerts in Ahmedabad recently and how fans went wild, global cricket fans experienced orgasmic highs watching Rohit in command. He could smash the ball on the leg side with a heave, he could uncork his while arm movement from back-lift to swing and connecting the white ball. It vanished into the sky, proof being the flurry of sixes he executed. Damn stats and data analysts, cricket cannot be described dull and drab.

It has to be prose and poetry. For more variety, the reverse sweep/pull which Rohit had to showcase was a clear sign of how much he has prepared for it. This shot demands tremendous preparation and practice, and he has been at it. If you have watched visuals from net practice and throwdowns, using the reverse shot with variations has become part of the drill. It's a far cry from the days a certain reverse sweep ended Mike Gatting's career in English cricket in India!

Improvisation, an eye for geometry while batting and visualising the field set, all this is required when a batter is at the crease. The young-age batters are more gifted in terms of being well-versed in 'blind' hitting. Rohit's template is simple, smash the ball. He has to bat like that, he has to attack and go big. How he does it is not defined by technique alone for it also has to do with his head and heart. Rohit has been dealing with a whirlpool of emotions even as trolls have been baiting him.

If Rohit has bounced back, he alone and his family can take credit for it. From paternity leave to becoming a marauder who decimates the rival attack, Rohit has had to shut out the noise from outside. Now we know, when he spoke at the press conference the other day, he had almost shut up the media. Now fans know how and why he has been preparing.

Positivity and karma, Rohit has worshipped it to script one more ton, his 49th international hundred which will rank as top-class. This was the burst needed from Rohit ahead of the Champions Trophy. Trolls can take a break or shift to Virat Kohli, not that it will matter!