“I find him quite tough to bowl to” – Josh Hazlewood on Rohit Sharma ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Australia ace pacer Josh Hazlewood recently lauded India captain Rohit Sharma’s credentials in Test cricket ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Hazlewood added that his ploys have often failed against the opening batter, and he also credited Rohit for his timing and shot selection.
Rohit has scored 54 runs off 171 balls against Hazlewood in Test cricket. The pacer has dismissed him twice - once each during the 2018-19 and 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophies series.
Hazlewood told Star Sports:
“I remember one time India came out, he battled at 5 or 6 and then last time he opened. He’s faced the new ball a lot. I feel like he plays the quicks unbelievably well. The bounce doesn’t seem to worry him, the movement doesn’t. He’s got all the time in the world. So, I find him quite tough to bowl to.”
Watch the clip below:
For the unversed, Rohit Sharma loves playing against Australia. The right-handed batter has amassed 3571 runs across formats against them, comprising nine centuries. In Tests, the 37-year-old has scored 708 runs in 12 Tests against the Aussies. In Australia, he has 408 runs in seven Tests.
In 2024, Rohit has scored 466 runs in seven Tests so far, including two centuries against England. The senior batter, however, was underwhelming against Bangladesh in the recently concluded first Test of the two-match series, registering below-par scores of six and five in his two innings. Team India, though, won the game by a mammoth margin of 280 runs.
“Going to be the three really big ones” – Nathan Lyon warns Australia of Rohit Sharma and Co. ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon recently spoke about major threats for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as they aim to secure their first series win against India in the last 10 years. The off-spinner told Star Sports (via The Times of India):
“Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant are probably going to be the three really big ones. But then you've still got Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Jadeja, and who else will come out—another five, I'm not sure."
"But it's a pretty amazing line-up they've got, so it's going to be a massive challenge. As I said, if we, as a bowling group, are good enough for long periods, hopefully, we can challenge their defence,” he added.
The five-match 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series will begin in Perth on November 22.