Rohit Sharma has been fantastic as captain and opener: Rahul Dravid

Bengaluru, November 11

India’s dominant streak in the World Cup has a lot to do with Rohit Sharma adapting brilliantly to his dual role of team captain and opener, reckoned head coach Rahul Dravid. Rohit has made 443 runs from eight matches at a strike-rate of 122, blunting the opposition bowlers early. “Rohit has certainly been a leader. I think he’s led by example both on and off the field,” said Dravid.

“There have been some games where it could have been tricky for us, but the fact that he’s been able to get us to those kinds of starts has literally cracked open the game. It actually has made it look easy for us and certainly made it easier for the guys who followed in that (batting) department.”

Dravid said Rohit’s aggressive batting has set the tone for the Indian innings. “We’ve talked about playing in a particular way. You cannot do that unless your leader buys in and shows by example. It’s been terrific to see the way Rohit’s done that. I think his captaincy has been fantastic. He’s someone who’s certainly got the respect of the group and the coaching staff,” said Dravid.

‘Dutch an inspiration’

Netherlands have been very impressive at the World Cup and their performances will give associate members hope of competing more regularly on the big stage, Dravid said.

Netherlands — the only non-Test-playing nation in the tournament — sprang an upset on semifinalists South Africa and also beat Bangladesh to register two wins at a World Cup for the first time.

The Dutch team had come through a gruelling qualifying campaign, beating the likes of West Indies and Scotland to seal the final spot in the 10-team tournament in India. “We’re very impressed with the way they’ve played in this tournament. The effort that they’ve gone through to be able to qualify… I certainly know how difficult it is for associate teams to reach this level and play,” Dravid said. “It’s quite inspiring to see that in spite of the challenges that they do face, that they’re able to compete at this level.” — Reuters