Talking on the YouTube channel ‘A Sports’, former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik sang praises of Rohit and the role he is performing for India in this World Cup at the top of the order.
“Rohit Sharma reminds of the era when Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist used to open for Australia,” said Malik on the show, which also had Pakistan legend Wasim Akram on the panel.
“They (Hayden and Gilchrist) used to do such hitting at the start that by the time Ricky Ponting came in to bat at No. 3, the field was open for him to score against battered and bruised bowlers.”
After a forgettable start with the bat, where Rohit scored a duck against Australia, the Indian skipper has come into his own, scoring 131 against Afghanistan, 86 against Pakistan and 48 against Bangladesh on Thursday.
“The best thing about him (Rohit) is that he (not only) has a lot of power, hits big sixes, but also improvises. This is very important. That’s why you see his hundreds are the most (7 in ODI World Cups). As soon as the field spreads out after 10 overs, he changes his game,” said Malik.
Rohit’s seventh ODI World Cup hundred, which came in the match against Afghanistan, took him past Sachin Tendulkar’s record of six World Cup centuries.
India have won all four of their matches in this World Cup so far and will next take on New Zealand, who are also undefeated in their four matches.
(AI image)
