I worked extremely hard on my fitness: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Shama said he was seeking consistency in a "critical phase" of his career.

Talking to the media after his match-winning unbeaten 68 in the first ODI, Rohit said he understood his game better now.

"I know how to plan my innings. It was very hot and tiring in the middle today and the pitch was slow. I have worked extremely hard on my fitness over the last three months. Playing in the IPL helped. I want to make this tour count," he said.

Under fire for his lacklustre performances for India earlier, Rohit said he had learnt to cope with criticism. "It is natural that the fans and the media would talk about your performances. I have no problems with that," he added.

The absence of seniors in the Indian ODI campaign here had made him feel more responsible, he said. "You are expected to score runs. It does not matter how talented you are. It is the runs that matter."

Not being a part of the Indian ODI World Cup winning squad was a huge disappointment, admitted Rohit. "But I have put that behind me now. Now, we have to keep India's World Cup reputation intact here," he said.

The West Indies batting mainstay Ramnaresh Sarwan said, "I was disappointed that we could not rotate the strike enough. I am still not as fluent as I used to be. It was a tough wicket to bat on against the spinners."

He acknowledged that the Indian batsmen coped with the conditions much better. "They used their feet against the spinners. I was also impressed with the manner the Indians attacked the new ball."