Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar is hopeful about Rohit Sharma’s performance in the upcoming Test series against South Africa. Gavaskar stressed the significance of Sharma adjusting his mindset to suit the unique challenges of Test cricket.
Rohit Sharma is gearing up to lead India in the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, beginning on December 26 in Centurion. This presents a significant opportunity for Sharma to make history as the first Indian captain to secure a Test series victory in South Africa.
While the 36-year-old batsman has a commendable overall record against South Africa in Test matches, accumulating 678 runs in nine games at an average of 42.37, his challenges are apparent in South African conditions. In four Tests in the Rainbow Nation, Sharma has managed only 123 runs at a less impressive average of 15.37.
“Rohit Sharma Has To Change His Approach…” – Sunil Gavaskar
Speaking on Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar stressed the importance of Rohit Sharma adapting his mindset to suit the demands of Test cricket. Gavaskar pointed out that while Rohit successfully employed an aggressive mindset to exploit field restrictions in the 2023 World Cup, a different approach is needed in Test matches. He said:
“First and foremost, the challenge would be to get your mental state into a Test match situation,”
“He has been batting in the one-day format, where he had decided that he would be playing the attacking role and try and score as much as possible before the field restrictions were lifted in the first 10 overs. We saw that in the World Cup. That was his approach for the World Cup”
Highlighting the importance of a Test-centric approach, Gavaskar emphasized that Rohit Sharma should focus on a mindset suited for batting throughout the day in Test cricket. Gavaskar suggested that Rohit has the capability to contribute to India’s total significantly. He said:
“For Test cricket, he has to change his approach completely because he has to think in terms of batting the whole day. If he bats the whole day, then clearly, with the range of shots he has got, he will be able to end up with 150-plus not, then India will be 300-plus or 350-plus.”
He added: “That’s the change he has to do. As a batter, when you are batter-captain, the moment you score run, your confidence in leading the side also increases. That’s going to be a big challenge for Rohit Sharma,”
In the upcoming series, Rohit Sharma is expected to open alongside young batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, while Shubman Gill is slated for the No. 3 position. Virat Kohli will maintain his usual batting position, and KL Rahul will handle the wicketkeeping duties for the Indian team in red-ball cricket, a role he takes on for the first time.
The absence of pacer Mohammed Shami, with his formidable record in South Africa (35 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 23.23), will be felt in the series. Either Mukesh Kumar or Prasidh Krishna is likely to replace him in the first match.
