"Just worried about the accelerator and how hard to push it" - Shaun Pollock uses fascinating analogy to hail Rohit Sharma
Former South African captain Shaun Pollock has come up with an interesting analogy to praise Rohit Sharma's batting. Pollock said the Indian skipper bats almost like he's driving an automatic car, where he isn't rushed about changing gears and is only concerned about how to pace his innings.
Returning from a hamstring injury, Rohit Sharma played a controlled yet breezy 50-run knock off just 51 balls against the West Indies in the first ODI in Ahmedabad. His innings, studded with 10 fours and a six, helped India chase down 176 in just 28 overs.
Speaking on the show "Cricbuzz Chatter" after the game, Pollock explained Rohit Sharma's wide range of shots makes it difficult to "tie him down". Pollock added that even the added responsibility of captaincy doesn't seem to affect the Indian skipper's style.
The former South African pacer said:
"He seemed in really good touch... He scores so freely on both sides of the surface. It's the cut, it's the square drive, he just flicks one leg side, the pickup pull goes all the way and there's not a particular area where you feel like you can cramp him for his style or tie him down. And he has got lots of time. He's faced the best in the world, he's faced the quickest in the world and he doesn't even seem rushed when he plays against them."
Pollock added:
"It's like driving a car - suppose your first six months you are pretty rushed to change the gears, you are thinking about a lot of things. He's almost operating in an automatic role where he's just worried about the accelerator and how hard to push it. He does look like a guy who's come into his own and I don't think the responsibility of captaining will affect the way he plays at all."
That's that from the 1st ODI.
#TeamIndia win their 1000th ODI by 6 wickets 👏👏
Scorecard - bcci.tv/events/50/west… #INDvWI https://t.co/vvFz0ftGB9
This was Rohit Sharma's first match since he succeeded Virat Kohli in becoming India's full-time white-ball captain. India needed a clinical win like this following their 3-0 whitewash against South Africa last month. It was also the Men in Blue's 1000th match in the format, making the victory even more special.
"Rohit Sharma makes batting look a little easier than it's supposed to be" - Dinesh Karthik
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Yuzi Chahal in the fun mood after the match. https://t.co/ryH9gcgQrx
Wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who has extensively played both with and against Rohit Sharma, also said the skipper makes batting look a "little easier than it's supposed to be". Karthik lauded the 33-year-old's growth and expressed confidence that he'll take India to greater heights in the coming years.
Karthik said:
"Yeah, he's a special batter. Over a period of time, he's shown the cricketing world how good he is. He makes batting look a little easier than it's supposed to be. You always get the feeling that he has a little bit of extra time in his hands which is a lovely feeling to have as a batter and a very pleasant sight to watch. In the last four-five years, he's grown leaps and bounds, to say the least. He's conquered a lot of demons and become a terrific, terrific cricketer for Team India. The fact that he's captaining now, he'll shoulder more responsibility and I am sure he'll take India to greater heights."
India have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second match will be played on Wednesday, February 9.