Indian captain Rohit Sharma made a strong comeback in the second T20I against Bangladesh and led from the front with a brutal innings of 85 runs as India beat Bangladesh comprehensively to equal the series after the visitors had shocked the hosts in the first game in Delhi.
Speaking about Rohit Sharma and his purple patch, former India batsman Mohinder Amarnath believes Rohit's "presence in all three formats" has made him more stable and consistent. In his column for the Times of India, he wrote, “Over the last few seasons, India has invariably come back strongly after a defeat, and it was no different in Rajkot (second T20I). India brought the series to 1-1 thanks to a resurgent bowling performance as well as a masterclass from Rohit Sharma.”
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He further wrote, "The stand-in captain (for the T20I series against Bangladesh) has hardly put a foot wrong since the World Cup and now looks to be in the form of his life. I think his presence in all three formats of the game has added stability and consistency to his performance. I used to be surprised that he was not part of the Test team, but his promotion to opener has brought a new dimension to his game and also gives the Indians an attacking and technically assured option at the top. Hopefully, he will continue his good form in Tests and who knows, in time he could blossom into an opener like Virender Sehwag."
The hero of the Indian team’s 1983 World Cup-winning campaign, Amarnath also gave some confidence to Shikhar Dhawan and wrote, "As India head to Nagpur for the decider, they look a settled side. Shikhar Dhawan, who was an able foil to Rohit in Rajkot, would be looking to stamp his presence on this match. He still possesses the power game and if he gets going, he still can turn a match dramatically.”
As for the Bangladesh team, Mohinder felt that they are sorely missing their charismatic all-rounder Shakib-Al-Hasan, who has been banned for two years for failing to report corrupt approaches. "For Bangladesh, the experience and class of Shakib Al Hasan is a gap they are finding more and more difficult to fill. He would have ensured that they capitalized on the good start had he been there," Amarnath concluded.