India opener Rohit Sharma put on a show with the bat on Day 1 of the second Test against England at Chepauk.

The hosts decided to bat on a difficult pitch after winning the toss. Despite losing opening partner Shubman Gill for a duck in the very second over, Rohit batted with positive intent and played his natural game to notch up his 7th Test ton.

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Thanks to his classy 161, India finished the opening day on 300/6. The key feature of Rohit’s knock was his execution of sweep shots with utmost command.

Speaking after the day’s play, Rohit said his thought process was pretty clear as playing the sweep shot on a rank turner could lead to inevitable trouble.

"Before it's too late, you start doing what you want to do and you can't be tentative. If you want to sweep, you sweep it," Rohit said in the virtual press conference, as quoted by PTI.

"We knew how the pitch was prepared and we knew that it would turn. So we had a good few training sessions before today and trained according to what we are supposed to expect today," he added.

"When you play on turning pitches you have to be pro-active and you can't be reactive. Getting on top of the bowler and making sure you are ahead of him. Little adjustment based on that. If it's turning, then how much of it... things like that before making decisions on shot selection," he continued.

Moeen Ali has been the nemesis for Indian batsmen previously and for Rohit, it was important that England's senior off-spinner needed to be swept from the rough to eliminate any chance of a leg before decision.

"What helped me was preparation I had before the game. Understanding the line that Moeen Ali was bowling. He was bowling into the rough, so there is a slight chance of getting leg before decision," he explained.

"Also I saw the deep square leg was pushed back, so even if I top-edged it wouldn't carry and land in a safe place. Those were my ideas and thoughts."

Rohit termed the sweep as percentage shot, which takes the condition of the pitch out of the equation.

"Sweep shot is something that you know can frustrate a bowler if you are playing that very well. If you play that shot, there is not much that the bowler can do from there or pitch can do from there."

"It was a percentage shot to play as he was bowling outside off-stump and lbw doesn't come to play. Only an odd-ball he was bowling on the wicket, where I wanted to use my feet and cover the spin while reaching towards the ball."

Rohit countered left-arm spinner Jack Leach by playing with a straight bat.

"Leach was bowling stump-to-stump, so it was important that I play with the turn. It was important to play with a straight bat as the turn was slightly angled. I was making sure that I push the ball between cover and point and rotate the strike."

"Once you rotate strike, its not easy for a bowler to bowl to a different batter every time. I wanted to bat as long as possible since the pitch is going to show a lot of wear and tear from days two and three."

When asked to rate this century, Rohit said: "I am not going to rate any of my knocks because every knock comes under different kind of pressure and this came under different circumstances."

"I am not the person to rate any of my knocks. Little disappointed to get out like that but happy that team is in a good position," he concluded.

(With PTI inputs)