Will Try to Be Innovative in My Batting in Australia: Rohit

Perth, Jan 8 (IANS) India batsman Rohit Sharma on Friday said he will look to introduce new ideas in his batting style during the limited-overs series against hosts Australia starting on January 12 here.

The visitors are scheduled to play five One-Day Internationals (ODI) followed by three Twenty20 Internationals against hosts Australia.

Rohit (6) failed to get runs under his belt as he ran himself out in the Twenty20 practice game against Western Australia XI on Friday, which the Indians won by 74 runs.

"We have got close to a week’s time here before we play our first ODI. We do know what to expect from the conditions at Perth. I have played some cricket here in the past and my preparations will be according to that. I will be trying to get into the groove and would be looking to get my positions right,” Rohit was quoted as saying by BCCI.tv.

“Also, getting my basics right will top my list. I will try to be a bit innovative and see what would work for me and what not. It is an exciting venue and you get a lot of value for your shots with a bit of bounce and carry off the pitch. I am looking forward to the first ODI,” the Mumbai-based batsman said.

The 28-year-old termed the forthcoming series as no different from the previous ones where it is all played with passion and aggression.

“It will be a case of fighting fire with fire. Both teams have a history against each other and are highly charged up wanting to get results in their favour. The last series that we played here (in 2014) was very closely contested. Although the result didn’t go our way, we fought right till the end. We played some good and positive cricket, which is exactly what we want to do this time as well,” Rohit said.

India are coming off a home Test series victory against South Africa and have since managed to get a decent break ahead of a tough Australia tour.

“Preparations are key for any format. Knowing that there is going to be a lot of limited overs cricket coming up we will prepare accordingly. We hope to carry the winning momentum from last year,” the Mumbai right-hander said.

“It is going to be really important for us to start the series well. It is just a matter of putting the right foot forward and accepting the challenge. Australia is going to be a tough team to beat, but we are up for it,” Rohit concluded.