‘A man-eater pounces on when it knows there’s prey around’ – Sachin Tendulkar praises Rohit Sharma for showing immense mental strength

Legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar has lauded Rohit Sharma for showing a lot of mental strength, especially in Test cricket. The 34-year-old Sharma made his debut back in 2013, but took as many as six years to find his feet in the purest format. Even as his numbers in India were worth envying, it’s his performance in overseas conditions that raised a lot of eyebrows.

Back in 2019, Rohit was sent as an opener and from there on, his fortunes in Test cricket turned for the better. Recently, the Nagpur-born batter was also appointed as the vice-captain of the Indian Test team, replacing Ajinkya Rahane. However, the veteran won’t be playing the Tests in South Africa after being ruled out due to a hamstring injury.

Tendulkar, who happened to have played his last international series during Rohit’s debut, said that the right-hander has worked immensely on his mental strength. The Master Blaster praised Sharma for showing a lot of positivity in his approach and not letting bowlers dictate terms.

It’s all about positive reinforcement, says Sachin Tendulkar

“It is mental. When you start telling yourself ‘This is something that I’m not gonna do’, (it will be) the first thing you’re going to do. I would much rather say that try and give yourself a message on what you’re expected to do and what you want to do, instead of what you shouldn’t do,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying in a talk show with journalist Boria Majumdar.

“It’s all about positive reinforcement; the positive energy flowing in your body reflects. Your movements are fluid, you’re not tight. Nervous energy can be picked by opposition; it’s like a man-eater when it knows there’s prey around, it pounces on. That’s exactly what the bowler does to a batter,” he added.

Sharma, recently, also became the Indian skipper in ODI and T20I cricket, replacing Virat Kohli. In 43 Tests, Rohit has scored 3047 runs at an average of 46.87 and a strike rate of 55.47 with eight centuries and 14 half-centuries. Rohit is also the most successful skipper in the history of the Indian Premier League, having led the Mumbai Indians to five titles since 2013.