The great Sunil Gavaskar claimed that only Viv Richards could play the pull shot as good as the Indian mainstay after Rohit declared his intention to retire on his Instagram account on Wednesday, May 7. One of the greatest Test openers of all time, Gavaskar, claimed that the opposition bowlers were discouraged by Rohit and Richards’ pull strokes.
Recently, Rohit Sharma declared his retirement from Test cricket in advance of the June 20 start of the five-match series against England. The 38-year-old scored 4301 runs at an average of 40.58 in 67 Test matches. Rohit began his career as a middle-order batsman in 2013, but he eventually assumed the job of opener and finished with an outstanding 18 fifties and 12 hundreds.
“I can assure you that only Viv Richards performed the pull shot as beautifully as Sharma did in the cricket I had the good fortune to witness. In his piece for Mid-day, Gavaskar stated that Sharma got under the bounce and then blasted from midwicket to deep fine-leg for sixes, while Viv mostly played it down from square leg to wide mid-on by meeting the ball on the bounce.
“For a fast bowler, seeing his fastest delivery vanish into the spectators was discouraging and devastating. It was the pull that left one speechless, said to Gavaskar, even if Richards and Sharma had great shots as well.
Sharma’s elegance was like a calming salve for the eyes: Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar also emphasised Rohit’s effortless ability to take on the world’s fastest bowlers. Recalling a statement from the renowned Gabba Test in 2021, the former skipper of India likened Rohit’s batting to a calming eye salve.
He had so much time to play quicks that I recall stating at the renowned Gabba Test in 2021 that he could remove his helmet, comb his hair, put it back on, and still have time to swat the ball into the crowd after it was delivered. Gavaskar remarked, “Sharma was facing them as if he were playing spinners, but the Australian quick attack of Starc, Cummins, and Hazlewood was really steaming in and bowling quick.”
“Seeing rival quicks treated with such contempt was a source of pride for me as an Indian during a period when batters were mocked for their discomfort against fast bowling. Even as the ball travelled to the farthest corner of the stadium today, when batting is all about power, Sharma’s grace was a comforting salve to the eyes,” he continued.
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