Rohit-Gill combo gave India edge

Rohit took the match away from us: Santner

- Agencies

DUBAI: Rohit Sharma exposed all his stumps and biffed New Zealand pacer Nathan Smith over the cow corner for a 92-meter six in the sixth over of the Champions Trophy final here.

Eight overs later, Gill broke the shackles, launching Rachin Ravindra over long-on for a six through a little shimmy and an effortless swing of the bat. Both shots fetched maximum results.

But Rohit's shot exemplified his desire to dominate the bowlers regardless of the situation or the merit of the ball, while Gill's was a reflection of his willingness to wait for his chances.

This is how they operate. The Rohit-Gill opening partnership is a convergence of contrasts like all the great pairs of the past. Roll the years back and you will have West Indies' Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, India's Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly or Australia's Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist; they make each other greater by feeding on their partner's strength.

Here, Rohit's aggression is Gill's feeding point. The Punjab man knows that he does not need to take any undue risks because an intrinsically aggressive batter is on the other side. He can take his time to settle down before switching to an upper gear.

India's first match in the ICC showpiece against Bangladesh will give a clearer picture. The Indian openers made 69 in 9.5 overs, and 41 of those came off Rohit's bat. Gill was on a 23-ball 26 at this stage, but soon settled down and eventually got a hundred in the team's six-wicket win.

In the final against Kiwis too, Rohit did the early running and he was batting on a 63-ball 69 when Gill got out for a 50-ball 31. Actually, the smooth-sailing alliance could have blossomed further had it not been for Glenn Phillips' flying catch to dismiss Gill. The roles have been well-defined between these two, and it reflects in their record so far as well.