When you play Australia, you take them head on: Rohit Sharma

Has the world record sunk in yet?
It sunk in the morning after. It still gives me a jolt when I think about it. And I think it always will.

You were making a comeback after a two-month injury lay-off. There was a debate on who should open. What was the state of your mind when you went into the game?
Once I'm on the field, my mind is absolutely clear and all I think about is the game at hand.

Were you out there to make a point to your critics?
If you mean bringing a smile on my critics' faces, then sure. I love making people smile!

People have seen it, but given a chance how would you describe your 264-run knock?
It was a mixture of nerves, shock and awe. It took some time for me to settle in, but once I was in, I wanted to make sure I could make the most of every delivery and give the team a competitive total. It was incredibly special.

When you crossed the 200-run mark, did you think of breaking Sehwag's record of 219?
Honestly, I wasn't thinking of breaking any records. All I wanted to do was make the most of every delivery and get my team the biggest possible total. When I crossed 219, I heard my teammates cheering from the dressing room and I was confused as to what had happened. Then I realised I hit the highest ODI score, but I put that out of my mind and faced the next delivery.

With two double hundreds in ODIs, people believe you can break your own record. Do you?
I would be nothing without self belief.

You are gifted player who makes batting look easy. People expect a lot from you. What do you think?
I've been told that's my curse and my gift, so I take it with a pinch of salt.

You are a good backfoot player and have been successful in Australia in ODIs. How prepared are you for the Test series?
I have prepared well and I am looking forward to the challenge. When you're playing a Test series against Australia, you have to take them head on and be confident in your approach.

Australian wickets can be hell for subcontinent batsmen. What does one require to be successful in Australia? How strong one has to be mentally?
Mentally, you have to be strong but you also have to be positive. You have to be on top of your game and not let the opposition get the upper hand.

How keen are you to carry your current form to Australia?
Of course, I'm very keen. I want to make this tour, as I do every tour, count.

Have sought any senior player's (Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid or VVS Laxman) advice on how to play in Australia in Tests?
They were there the last time we toured Australia and they gave us a lot of advice on the conditions there. So I will try and keep those points in mind and use them as guidelines.

After the series, you have the World Cup. You missed out on the last one. How desperate are you to win the World Cup?
Which Indian isn't desperate to win the World Cup? It still hurts to have missed out in 2011 but I'm going in positive and will do my best to make my country proud.

We are a young and talented side. Can we win it again?
Of course, we are serious contenders in any competition. We are the No. 1 side in ODI cricket.