New Delhi [India], October 4 (ANI): Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar shared his thoughts on Rohit Sharma’s 92-run knock against West Indies in the third and final ODI.
Gavaskar expressed disappointment at India’s star opener falling for 92, saying he wants the ‘Hitman’ to have more ODI centuries than his age when he eventually calls time on his international career.
Gavaskar noted that a 36th ODI hundred would have brought Rohit closer to that milestone and reflected on his own desire to match his Test centuries with his age at retirement.
Sharma has scored 35 centuries in ODI cricket so far. Team India clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1 despite losing the third and final ODI, as the West Indies successfully chased down 352, powered by captain Shai Hope’s unbeaten 162.
In the third ODI against West Indies on Saturday, with captain Shubman Gill (1) and Virat Kohli (0) dismissed cheaply, the ‘Hitman’ once again rose to the occasion.
Coming off a century in the second ODI, Rohit Sharma produced another commanding knock, smashing 92 off 85 balls, studded with 10 fours and three sixes.
“The reason I was disappointed with Rohit getting out on 92 is that he didn’t get a hundred, and he might possibly quit international cricket after the end of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. And at that particular point of time, when he decides to call it a day, I personally would like Rohit to have more ODI hundreds than his age. Had he gotten a century in the third ODI, he would have moved closer to achieving that feat with his 36th hundred. For me, it’s a special thing when a player’s hundreds outnumber his age at retirement. It shows the kind of career they have had and the standard they have kept for so many years. That is why I really want Rohit to reach that mark. In my last year of international cricket, I wanted to get as many Test centuries as my age, and I got out in the 90s thrice. If I’d got those hundreds, then my centuries would have matched the age of my retirement, which was 38,” Gavaskar said on JioStar.
Gavaskar also noted a shift in Rohit Sharma’s batting approach since the 2023 ODI World Cup, with the opener now placing greater value on preserving his wicket and converting starts into big scores.
While he continues to score quickly, the change allows him to build towards centuries, which benefits India’s scoring rate and shields him from criticism over slow batting.
”A slight change has appeared in the batting template of Rohit that he himself set as the captain for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he was going bang-bang from the first ball, irrespective of the possibility of getting out sooner. Now he recognises that his wicket is valuable. In that 2023 World Cup, he got the team off to great starts, but he’s not a batsman who will score just 30-40 runs. He’s a hundred-maker! And therefore, I’m happy to see him score big runs. Yes, I know he missed out on a well-deserved ton in this match, but he got a hundred in the previous game. So, the fact that he’s recognising that his job as a batter is also to get a hundred, and if he scores big, he gets a hundred in 70-80 deliveries, which is helpful for the team because that is a great scoring rate in a 50-over game and it also keeps him away from the social media critics of slow batting,” Gavaskar said.
Rohit Sharma’s golden patch continued during India’s recent ODI assignments. Amid speculation that the third ODI against England at Lord’s could be his final international appearance, having already retired from T20Is and Tests, the ‘Hitman’ responded in emphatic fashion.
He smashed a sensational 138 off 110 balls, including 17 fours and five sixes, in India’s 388-run chase, reminding everyone of his match-winning ability despite the team eventually falling short by 27 runs.
Rohit finished the three-match England ODI series with 175 runs at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of 98.31. He then carried that form into the ongoing ODI series against the West Indies, amassing 225 runs in three matches. (ANI)
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