I am never under pressure to score: Rohit Sharma

Indian middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma, who scored a resolute 82 runs on the third day of the second cricket Test against New Zealand here on Sunday, said it was only the media which portrayed him as a man "under pressure".

"I am never under pressure. Every time I play it comes from the media that I am under pressure. I was never under pressure," Rohit told reporters after the day's play.

When asked how he came up trumps under pressure, Rohit posed a counter-question.

"You may have seen me on the field. I am going to ask you this. Did I look under pressure even when I was playing the first test or the second Test," he asked.

With India already opening up a 339-run lead over New Zealand after reaching 227/8 in the second innings on Sunday, Rohit expressed happiness with the match situation.

"Where we stand now, we are pretty happy. Let's hope that we will get 50-plus runs tomorrow. That will be good."

New Zealand's stand-in skipper Ross Taylor, filling in for the ill Kane Williamson, employed a leg trap strategy to unsettle Indian captain Virat Kohli at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. Rohit said he wasn't surprised at the tactic.

"I was hoping that he gets though that period. At times there will be such situations. We were all prepared for it," he said, when asked how he felt about that phase of play from the non-striker's end.

"Ever batsman goes in thinking he might get a spell where you have to respect and play the overs. But Virat, being an aggressive player, he played some wonderful shots, which were good to see from the non-strikers' end.

Referring to Kohli's dismissal to a delivery from pacer Trent Boult that kept very low and almost rolled after pitching, Rohit said: "He was out to a very unfortunate delivery, which probably will happen not once in ten times."

--IANS

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