In 2009 when India played an ODI at Seddon Park, Rohit Sharma didn’t get a chance to bat. He watched Virender Sehwag pummel the Kiwi bowlers to all parts of the ground along with Gautam Gambhir. The pair then had put up an unbeaten 200-run stand to turn the result in India’s favour. Rohit had to wait for five years for a bat at the scenic Seddon Park and would score 20 & 79 in the innings to follow. Today, at the same venue, Rohit used his experience of playing at this ground to good effect and along with Shikhar Dhawan put up a 174-run stand to take India to a comfortable position in pursuit of their 260-run target against Ireland. Though the evening belonged to Shikhar, who notched up his second ton of the World Cup, a lot of credit had to be given to Rohit, who, at the other end, was going about his business silently. In his silence, there was a sense of calm and charm. Elegance was never an issue with Sharma and when the right-hander decided to display his art through some crisp drives, the ten thousand-odd strong crowd had reached fever pitch. In Shikhar they saw flamboyance and dominance. When watching Rohit they referred to their cricketing text books. The duo has been a productive opening pair for India in the last year or so. “It has been a great journey for me and Shikhar since the time we have started opening together,” Rohit told bcci.tv in an exclusive post-match chat. “We both have good memories of the ICC Champions Trophy as well. We did have a rough patch in between but we knew we could always strike back. “We, as openers, have a responsibility of laying the perfect platform for the middle order to come and bat the way they want to. I am glad we have been able to give the starts that the team wants from us thus far and it is important that we continue this phase in the coming games,” Rohit said. Talking about their gameplan at the confines of Seddon Park, a stark contrast to the grounds India have played in the tournament thus far, Rohit said, “The initial five to six overs were really crucial and with the two new balls it does a little bit, especially in these conditions. “It was important for us to see off that new ball and be positive as well. Today we were positive right from ball-one. The deliveries which were there to be hit were given the treatment and we got the best out of it. New Zealand is a high scoring place and you have to bide your time in the middle and runs will come.” Even the warm-up games leading up to the main draw saw the pair working well in tandem. They would start cautiously, build an innings and once in their comfort zone, would begin to accelerate. If Dhawan would find it difficult, Rohit would try and ease the pressure and they would switch roles according to the need of the hour. Though Dhawan looks to have hit the purple patch, Rohit has been quiet after his 150 against Afghanistan in the warm-ups. He did get an unbeaten half century against UAE at Perth but his 64 against Ireland should keep him in good stead as India reach the business end of the tournament. “I have played here and I have good memories of Seddon Park,” Rohit said. “The shots were coming off well and I felt really good. I was sticking to my game plan. I had decided that there would be certain shots that I would play and a few that I would cut down on. I did that initially and once I reached a position where I felt I could go for my shots I began playing them.” He was, however, gutted that he couldn’t convert his knock into a big one. “The wicket was such that you had to spend some time in the middle and then go for your shots. In New Zealand if you get in and play yourself for some time you can make the most of it,” Rohit said. “Unfortunately I got out at the wrong time and I should have converted my start into a big one. But these things happen and it won’t affect me in the future.” Reflecting on the game, Rohit applauded the Irish batsmen and credited India’s bowlers for pulling things back at a time when Ireland were looking to pile on a huge score. “Ireland got off to a good start and played the initial hour very well. It wasn’t easy to play those shots that they played early in the innings. Credit to the Ireland batsmen for the way they started. “But R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja pulled it back and there were a few crucial overs bowled by Suresh Raina as well that helped us keep the run-scoring under check. To come and control the innings at the stage was really important and if we hadn’t done that, who knows we would have been chasing 300. Bowling well in those middle overs was important and it was backed up by good fielding. ” India have looked like a well oiled unit with the batsmen getting the runs, bowlers bowling well in tandem and fielders putting up stellar performances. With a win against Ireland India have registered five wins in as many games; their ninth on the trot in the World Cup. For Rohit and co. it was satisfying to see the team’s all-round progress. “This tournament is such that momentum plays a huge part. When you come into such tournaments with such a winning momentum, it brings out the best from each individual in the side. The highlight of our wins has been the fact that it has not been just one individual who has taken us through those victories. Almost everyone has contributed towards the team’s success which shows in our results. We are well placed at the moment and it is a good position to be in,” Rohit said.