Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram is in awe of Rohit Sharma – the batter. Against the Netherlands in the tournament’s last league match, Rohit and Gill added 91 for the first wicket inside the Powerplay, putting India’s nose in front.
Drawing a comparison with Rohit’s contemporaries, Wasim said the Indian skipper is different than all.
“Rohit and Gill put on 91 runs in 10 overs. The game was over then only,” Akram said on A Sports.
While Gill completed his fifty, Rohit slammed 54-ball 61 at the top, laying the foundation for batters to come and deliver. Referring to his fellow teammate and a former great, Inzamam-ul-Haq in the same breath, Wasim said both Rohit and Inzamam had ample time to score against the pace.
“Like Inzamam, Rohit too has a lot of time against the pacers. His hand-eye coordination is so natural,” Akram on Rohit Sharma.
Showering praises on the Indian veteran, Wasim said Rohit is different than Virat Kohli, Pakistan captain Babar Azam and modern-day greats Kane Williamson and Joe Root.
“I don’t think there is anyone like Rohit Sharma in the World cricket. We talk about emperor Kohli (Virat), Joe Root, Williamson (Kane), and Babar Azam, but this guy is different.
“He makes batting look so easy. No matter what the situation is, the bowling attack is, he plays his shots with ease. He changes the tempo of the game. Bowlers and oppositions are on the back foot from ball one,” Wasim noted.
India hammer Dutch in Bengaluru
The Indian Team finished the group with nine wins in as many contested matches. Their latest victory came against the Netherlands in Bengaluru on Diwali day, beating the Dutch by 160 runs.
While the top three completed their respective fifties, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer slammed hundreds, with KL doing it in 62 balls – the fastest by an Indian batter in World Cups.
Iyer’s maiden CWC also made headlines, as India registered their second-best team total (410/4) in this competition.
The bowlers were on the top of their games, with each of Bumrah, Siraj, Kuldeep and Jadeja returning with two wickets each. On a rare off day for Mohammed Shami, who went wicketless for the first time in this World Cup, India tried nine bowlers, including Virat and Suryakumar Yadav.
Upon finishing the group in the first position, India will face New Zealand in the first semi-final on Wednesday (Nov 15) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
