Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has laid a massive claim, saying that should the Rohit Sharma-led Team India defeat South Africa in the Test series, Rohit’s name will be the biggest one etched in the Indian cricket history, even bigger than great captains like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
India and South Africa will play a 2-Test series, starting December 26, in Centurion and Cape Town.
While Virat Kohli is hailed by many as India’s greatest Test captain, under whom India recorded their first-ever Test series win in Australia, Irfan Pathan reckons Rohit Sharma will move to the top position if India records their first-ever Test series win in South Africa in the coming weeks.
“If Rohit Sharma is able to conquer South Africa, his name will be kept top-most in India’s cricket history as captain and player because he only has the key to wins in both these matches,” Irfan Pathan said on Star Sports.
“He is both an opener and a captain. If you play out the new ball, your other batters will get the chance to shine. That’s why you should remove the shine from the new ball,” he added.
This is Rohit’s first assignment in a SENA country as India’s Test skipper.
Rohit Sharma went fully prepared and batted amazingly in the Test series in England: Irfan Pathan
Rohit Sharma was India’s best batsman in the 4 Tests in England in 2021, helping India take a 2-1 lead in the series. The highlight of his knocks in that series were his judgement of leaving the balls outside the off-stump.
Rohit’s stats in Tests in South Africa, though, are poor: 4 Tests, average of only 15 with not a single half-century. But Rohit in Test cricket has been a different beast since being promoted to open in 2019.
Pathan explained that, similar to what he did in England, Rohit’s role in South Africa will first require him to play out the new ball.
“He went fully prepared and batted amazingly in the Test series when he went to England. I feel you will see Rohit Sharma preparing with the same passion before he goes. Rohit’s challenge will be to play out the new ball, score his runs and take his team forward,” Pathan stated.
“He is going to wear a lot of hats and only the most experienced player in your team is capable of wearing so many hats.”
