Sunil Gavaskar spoke on Rohit Sharma‘s mental health as a Test captain and the necessity for a shift in attitude. He emphasized Rohit’s aggressive batting approach in ODIs and advised him to bat all day in Test cricket.
Gavaskar predicted that India’s veteran hitters, like as Rohit and Kohli, will dominate the next Test series against South Africa. He also mentioned the probable impact of important players like Nortje, Rabada, and Ngidi’s absence on South Africa’s bowling assault.
Sunil Gavaskar was also questioned about Rohit Sharma’s toughest challenge as a player and captain coming into the series, and he said
First and foremost, the task would be to mentally prepare for a Test match. He has been batting in the One-Day International format, where he elected to play the offensive role and aim to score as many runs as possible in the first 10 overs of field limits.
The cricketer-turned-commentator went on to say that the Indian skipper will have to modify his aggressive style from the World Cup:
He would have to entirely adjust his approach for Test cricket because he will have to think in terms of batting the entire day. If he bats the entire day, he will be able to end up with 180 or 190 not out at the end of the day, and India will be 300-plus.
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The Indian squad now possesses Proteas bowlers, said Gavaskar
According to Gavaskar, the Indian team now has more experienced hitters than the Proteas bowlers, with the comeback of numerous key players including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah. They are seasoned batsmen who have played worldwide, so I anticipate them to score a lot of runs in these two Tests. Not just because they have so much quality, but I believe the South African assault lacks that edge this time,” Gavaskar told Star Sports. Furthermore, Gavaskar stated that the hosts may be hampered by the absence of major players like Anrich Nortje and the potential absence of Kagiso Rabada.
With the loss of Nortje, and the potential absence of Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, the South African assault appears to be lacking in experience, if not class. So I believe these two hitters will score a lot of runs and contribute significantly to the Indian team’s overall tally,” Gavaskar remarked.
IND vs SA Match Details:
| Match | India vs South Africa |
| Competition | India tour of South Africa 2023-24 |
| Date | 26 Dec 2023 |
| Starting Time | 01:30 PM IST |
| Venue | Centurion, South Africa’s SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium |
Playing style of Rohit Sharma
Sharma is an aggressive batter who also plays with grace and elegance. In limited-overs cricket, he is normally an opening batsman, while he has spent the majority of his Test career as a middle-order batsman. Sharma is widely recognized as one of the best limited-overs batsmen of all time. And he was known as Hitman because of his offensive batting style and six-hit skills.
Sunil Gavaskar compares Sharma’s batting style to that of Virender Sehwag and Viv Richards. In his November 2018 piece for The Times of India, Gavaskar stated:
Also Read: What is Jasprit Bumrah’s South African Test record?