Let's say that it was only a coincidence that a Mumbai batsman has retired and another Mumbai batsman has just stepped up. Let's give Rohit Sharma the time to settle down in the game's longest format where he's yearned to be over the years and has finally arrived.
Rohit himself agrees that this is only the start of the journey for him. "This is just the start of my Test career. It will be very important to go and perform outside India. It will be a challenge. At the moment, we have the ODI series to play so I'm focussing on that," he says.
Going by his own word, it does appear that the batsman has decided he'll take his career step-by-step, match-by-match, series-by-series. "When you go to South Africa, there would be enough time for prepare yourself. I've been to South Africa, I know what it's going to be like there, what to expect. So I'll have my preparation done accordingly. At the moment I'm happy with the way I've started," adds Sharma.
He's cautious indeed and why not, considering the time he's spent struggling, season after season, to make it here. "I've waited a long time to get here, wear the whites, and finally wearing them feels really good," he says.
After the win against West Indies on Saturday, Rohit was declared the Man-of-the-Series for scoring two centuries in his first two Tests. He became only the second Indian cricketer after Sourav Ganguly to do so. "I'm really happy with the Man-of-the-Series but I need to keep performing every time I go on the field, keep scoring those big runs."
For now, Rohit's also happy that he got to contribute in a 'big match' that was Sachin Tendulkar's final Test. The batsman says the team will be "tormented for the next few days" knowing that Tendulkar won't be there anymore.
"It will keep coming back again and again," says Sharma.
He believes Team India will miss Tendulkar simply for the reason that he brings so much to the table. It's not just batting, explained Sharma. It's also the way Tendulkar conducts himself off-the field and other things that he feels will be missed by this young team.
"For instance the way he prepares for a series. When it comes to batting abroad, what sort of mindset you need to have, how to prepare. I've had these chats with him and they've helped me a lot," he says.
For now, all he's thinking about is to do well every time he gets an opportunity. "There's still a long way to go. My career is just two matches old," Sharma said.
This is just the start of my Test career... I've waited a long time to get here, wear the whites, and finally wearing them feels really good.
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