Rohit Sharma holds fans, team-mates and bowlers in awe and fear for his ability to send the ball into orbit. With the bat in hand that is. But in another sport, not very dissimilar to cricket, Rohit sent the ball so off the intended mark that it could have qualified for an entry into the music video for Dire Straits’ “Walk of Life”, featuring American sports bloopers.
On a break after the IPL season, Rohit was in Seattle at Safeco Field, the home ground of the Major League Baseball side Seattle Mariners. On Sunday, Rohit was invited to throw the ceremonial first pitch (usually done by a special guest) ahead of the match between the Mariners and the Tampa Bay Rays. It’s part of his short tour of the US where he will be conduct cricket clinics and meet fans.
A video shot by a spectator from the stands shows Rohit, dressed in black, preparing to pitch to the catcher, with the crowd starting to fill in. After taking a few seconds to ensure he got his technique right, Rohit sprayed the ball high and wide to the catcher’s left, one that would have tested the catcher’s acrobatic skills. Rohit’s apologetic reaction, hands on his head, summed it up. The catcher then ran up to him to shake his hand.
It brought back memories of England's Steve Harmison’s jittery inaugural ball of the 2006-07 Ashes in Brisbane, which landed in Andrew Flintoff’s hands at second slip with pinpoint precision. After the pitch disaster, will Americans one day get a chance to see the ‘Hitman’ do what he’s best at, with a baseball bat?
