Rohit Sharma’s talent is on show as he makes stacks of runs: David Gower
Former England captain David Gower believes Indian cricket team batsman Rohit Sharma’s talent is highlighted because of the ‘stack of runs’ he is piling up.
Indian opener Rohit Sharma was one of the standout performers at the 2019 World Cup for India, scoring five hundreds – the most by a batsman in a single edition of the World Cup to end up with 648 runs in 9 matches.
David Gower believes it’s Rohit Sharma’s ability to stay in the middle for long periods which enhances his style of batting.
“At the moment, we see his (Rohit’s) talent on show all the time because he makes stacks and stacks of runs so the work comes in to actually make sure that you have the determination, the ability, the technique, the calmness and the concentration – all the things you need to actually occupy the crease for long enough to make those runs,” David Gower told Cricket.com in an exclusive interview.
“So, Rohit has to stay at the crease. I had to stay at the crease. Mahela had to stay at the crease. The great players of all time, whatever their style and grace, had to stay at the crease in order for people to appreciate them,” David Gower added.
David Gower notched up 8231 runs in 117 Tests for England at an average of 44.25 with 18 centuries. He also turned out in 114 ODIs and scored 7 tons.
David Gower compares Rohit Sharma to Jason Roy
The stylish England southpaw was also not critical of Rohit Sharma’s inability to convert his ODI success into Test match form. David Gower compared Rohit Sharma to Jason Roy, who is also struggling to find his feet in Test cricket.
“There are loads of players with immense talent and it's a very fine line sometimes. I can name you a dozen players pretty quickly probably who are very good at white-ball cricket, hopeless at red-ball cricket. It doesn't mean they're not talented, it doesn't mean they're not gifted in a certain way.
“For instance, we have one in England – Jason Roy, who is a very, very talented player. A vital part of England's World Cup win last year, opens the innings in white-ball cricket and gets hundreds. I had a hope that he might be able to learn how to control himself better at Test match level and make runs,” the 63-year-old Englishman said.
India's most recent Test assignment was against the Kiwis in New Zealand, a rubber that they lost 2-0. Rohit Sharma was not part of that series, owing to an injury he picked up in the limited-overs leg.
Thus, at this juncture, the jury still seems to be out on whether Rohit Sharma can blossom as a Test opener in overseas conditions.