"Century before a big tournament is a huge boost": Ravindra Jadeja on Rohit

Ravindra Jadeja. Pic/AFP

The scathing criticism from all quarters wasn't something that perturbed Rohit Sharma's Indian teammates who knew that their skipper was just a knock away from getting back into his element, senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja said on Sunday.

The 37-year-old Indian captain answered his critics in style smashing his 32nd ODI century - a 90-ball 119 - to guide India to a four-wicket victory over England, sealing the series with a game to spare.

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India skipper Rohit Sharma celebrates his century against England in Cuttack on Sunday. Pic/PTI

Rohit serves timely warning

The innings came at the perfect time, just weeks before the Champions Trophy, reaffirming his importance to the team.

"The entire world may be behind him [Rohit] but in our dressing room, there was no such atmosphere. He is such a great player that he knows exactly how to build an innings," Jadeja said at the post-match media interaction. The all-rounder added that such phases are normal for great players. "It's just a matter of one good inning."

"As you saw, it didn't even feel like he hadn't scored runs in the previous innings. The shots he played were smooth and he looked confident. Just played normal strokes." Jadeja emphasised that there was never any panic within the squad despite external criticism.

Boosts confidence

"Sometimes, it just takes one or two innings to turn things around. The good thing is that, before an important tournament like the Champions Trophy, scoring a hundred is a huge boost. It's great for the team, and obviously, he himself knows his game well. There's nothing much to think or discuss." Asked how was the mood after he got to his triple, Jadeja said: "Obviously, as I just mentioned, before a big tournament, if any batsman scores a hundred, it boosts confidence both for the individual and the team. If your top-order batsmen are scoring runs, you will always get a good start.

"In ODI cricket, if you get a good start in the first 10-15 overs, it sets the platform for the death overs, where you can capitalise."

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