Former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly has lavished praise on Virat Kohli’s deputy Rohit Sharma. It came following a spectacular hundred against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Ganguly asserted he is among the best in business when it comes to the limited-overs format.
“He [Rohit Sharma] has become a phenomenal player, especially over the last three years, in the shorter format and is right up there with the best,” Ganguly wrote in his latest column for Times of India.
The 31-year-old Nagpur-based Rohit has had improved a lot as a player that paid rich dividends for the Team India. He has emerged as the backbone for India at the top.
It’s pertinent to mention that the right-handed batsman Rohit scored 129-ball 133 runs. With this, he racked up his 22nd hundred while playing his 194th ODI for the Indian National Cricket Team.
“From three wickets down for four runs, India did well to get past 250. One has to talk about Rohit Sharma’s innings,” Ganguly wrote on.
However, for the fifth-wicket Rohit alongside Mahendra Singh Dhoni knitted a crucial partnership of 137 runs for the fifth wicket. But the latter was adjudged leg before wicket after scoring 96-ball 51.
Although Rohit’s brilliant effort went in vain in the three-match ODI series opener at Sydney which saw India losing the game by 34 runs, Ganguly reiterated the top-order batsman has kept ticking the scoreboard despite losing three quick wickets which indeed is a positive sign.
Rohit’s innings has been only highlight for India against the hosts Australia in the run chase.
“What stood out in that innings was despite wickets tumbling at the other end, his strike rate remained exceptional,” Ganguly further maintained.
Players without warm-up matches will take time to settle down: Ganguly
According to Ganguly, there are quite a few players who didn’t play warm-up matches, and they are bound to take time to acclimatise the conditions in series Down Under.
“A lot of the Indian batsmen, other than Rohit, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan, went into the one-day international series without any warm-up matches, so it is quite understandable that they will take a little bit of time to get into the mode,” Ganguly maintained.
Sourav Ganguly on India’s comeback:
The Kolkata-based 46-year-old star Ganguly stated that the Men in Blue would make a strong comeback in the ongoing second ODI at Adelaide.
“I’m sure we will see an improved performance from India in Adelaide. There are still two games to go. And they will have come back and won the series despite trailing,” Ganguly further wrote in his column.
Steven Smith and David Warner to strengthen limited-overs side: Sourav Ganguly
Besides, Ganguly remarked that the return of Steven Smith and David Warner are bound to bring stability in the Australian team. He maintained the concurrent Kangaroos limited-overs’ side looks far better than the Test team.
“They are looking like a good team in this format; they are currently in the rebuilding phase, a cycle which every great team goes through. But this one-day side looks more settled and better than the Test team. Once David Warner and Steve Smith are back, they have the potential to be a very strong side,” he stated in his write-up.
While filling this report, India posts 100 for one in 17 overs. Earlier, Australia batted first to put up 298 for nine on the board in 50 allotted overs.