'Only Viv Richards played the pull shot as well' - Sunil Gavaskar heaps massive praise on Rohit Sharma
"Both Richards and Sharma had other shots too, but it was the pull that took one’s breath away," Gavaskar mentioned.
Rohit Sharma recently announced his retirement from Test cricket ahead of the five-match series against England, starting on June 20. The 38-year-old played 67 Tests, scoring 4301 runs at an average of 40.58. Starting his career as a middle-order batter in 2013, Rohit took up the opener's role and finished with an impressive tally of 18 fifties and 12 centuries.
After Rohit announced his decision to retire via his Instagram handle on Wednesday, May 7, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar said that only Viv Richards could play the pull shot as well as the Indian stalwart. Gavaskar, who is considered one of the finest Test openers of all time, said that Rohit and Richards' pull shots demoralised opposition bowlers.
"I promise you that in the cricket that I have been blessed to watch, only Viv Richards played the pull shot as well as Sharma did. Viv mainly played it down from square leg to wide mid-on by meeting the ball on the bounce, while Sharma got under the bounce and then hammered from midwicket to deep fine-leg for sixes," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-day.
"It was destructive and demoralising for a fast bowler to find his fastest delivery disappearing among the crowds. Both Richards and Sharma had other shots too, but it was the pull that took one’s breath away," Gavaskar mentioned.
Sharma’s grace was a soothing balm to the eyes: Gavaskar
Gavaskar also pointed out Rohit's ability to play the fastest bowlers in world cricket with ease. The former India captain recalled one of his quotes from the famous Gabba Test in 2021 and compared Rohit's batting to a soothing eye balm.
"He had so much time to play the quicks that I remember saying during the famous Gabba Test of 2021 that after the ball was delivered he could take off his helmet, comb his hair, wear the helmet back and still have the time to swat the ball away into the crowd. The Australian quick attack of Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood were really steaming in and bowling quick, but Sharma was facing them as if he was playing spinners," said Gavaskar.
"As an Indian at a time when the batters were treated with derision for the discomfort against fast bowling, it made one feel proud to see opposition quicks being treated in this disdainful manner. Today, when batting is all about power, Sharma’s grace was a soothing balm to the eyes even as the ball went to the farthest corner of the stadium," he added.
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