Rohit times it right

Rohit Sharma took his time joining the World Cup party but arrived in style on Thursday, rocking the Melbourne Cricket Ground with a match-winning century to send reigning champions India charging into the semifinals.

The opening batsman's crisp 137 at the iconic stadium set up an imposing total of 302-6 and the platform for an emphatic 109-run victory over Bangladesh.

More ominously for India's next opponents -- either Australia or Pakistan -- Rohit has found form at exactly the right time.

Big things had been expected of the sublimely talented 27-year-old, who blasted a world record 264 last year against Sri Lanka, smashing former teammate Virender Sehwag's mark by 45 runs and becoming the first player to score two double-centuries in one-day internationals.

He compiled an imperious 138 in the lead-up tri-series against Australia at the same ground and belted 150 against Afghanistan in a warm-up days before the start of the tournament.

After the curtain was raised on cricket's global showpiece, however, Rohit struggled, managing only 15 and a duck from the first two Pool B matches, before scoring an unbeaten 57 in a pressure-free romp against United Arab Emirates.

He sandwiched a 64 against Ireland between two failures against West Indies and Zimbabwe in the three matches leading into the quarterfinal and arrived in Melbourne under some pressure from home media.

Rohit pushed a two through the covers to raise his century off 108 balls and leapt into the air, punching his fist in celebration as the crowd of 51,000 dominated by fanatical Indians roared.

Rohit's joy was no doubt mixed with relief, having been handed a generous reprieve when 10 runs short of his seventh ODI hundred.