"Rohit Sharma came with a game plan and showed confidence in that" - VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman was all praise for Rohit Sharma who executed his game plan against the England bowling attack to perfection.
Rohit Sharma is unbeaten on 57 runs in India's first innings of the third Test in Ahmedabad. The knock comes on the back of his 161-run effort in the second Test in Chennai.
While reviewing the first day's play on Star Sports, VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh shared their views on Rohit Sharma's enterprising innings.
"The way he shows confidence on his formula in one-day cricket, I feel in the same way he scored a big hundred in the second Test in Chennai in tough conditions and here also he came with a game plan and showed confidence in that," said the former Indian batsman.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Rohit Sharma played each ball on its merits.
"He was playing the drive when the ball was pitched full but he respected and played defensively against good-length deliveries. We know he plays an amazing pull shot and back-foot punch against short-pitched deliveries. So, if you show confidence in your game plan, you will continue to perform consistently. It shows he values his wicket and the discipline that is expected from an experienced player was seen," added Laxman.
"Rohit Sharma knows very well how important his role is" - Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh pointed out that Rohit Sharma invariably puts India in a strong position whenever he plays a substantial knock.
"When a senior player plays as an opener, it is his responsibility to play out the new ball. He knows very well how important his role is. Whenever he plays good knocks at the top of the order, the Indian team usually gets into a position from where it cannot lose," said Singh.
The off-spinner, who explained that Rohit Sharma is comfortable against both pace and spin, feels the right-handed batsman has taken greater responsibility since he started opening in Tests.
"It is Rohit Sharma's speciality that he has the game to play out the fast bowlers and when the spinners come, he has all the big shots and the sweep and knows very well how to score the runs. However the wicket might be but his style of play remains the same and he has become a very responsible cricketer since he started opening in Test cricket," concluded Harbhajan Singh.
Rohit Sharma will want to convert Wednesday's start into a significant knock, just as he had done on the spin-friendly Chennai track in the second Test. Team India will hope to take a substantial first-innings lead as batting in the fourth innings might not be easy on the Motera pitch.