Former England captain Nasser Hussain has backed the supremely gifted Rohit Sharma to return good as a Test opener on India’s tour of Australia later this year, provided he sees out the primary half-hour of the day.
Rohit, who had scored three hundreds including a double ton against South Africa reception in his debut series as Test opener last October, had missed on two games in New Zealand thanks to a calf injury.
The Australia tour are going to be his first big test as an opener within the longest format.
“If Rohit Sharma isn’t a match game opener, i have been watching a special game… If you go and ask fellow cricketers who your favourite players, tons of them will say Rohit Sharma,” Hussain said in talk show on Sony Ten’s ‘Pit Stop’.
“Fellow cricketers watch Rohit Sharma and say this bloke seems to possess such a lot time to bat.”
Rohit, who has become an ODI great, has only played 32 Tests. Hussain advised caution to Rohit at the beginning of the innings.
“Test match cricket at the highest of the order is about having time, it’s about having a way also . you’ve got to hide your off stump, like Virat did in England against Anderson, the way he left him outside in any case his problems of the previous tour, that’s a match game cricketer.
“And that is the only thing Rohit has got to do when he goes faraway from home and when is traveling . He has got to just spend half an hour and tell the bowler you’ll have this half hour I’m getting to leave you, I’m getting to take the slip cordon out of play.”
India are scheduled to play four Tests in Australia.
The cricketer-turned-commentator remembered the 2018 Edgbaston Test where India had dropped their premier No 3 Pujara and went on to lose the match by 31 runs, saying Kohli and Co will got to be spot on on team selection Down Under.
“I think India got to select well because they need numerous great batsmen so it’s extremely easy that when Rohit doesn’t do anything for 2 games, Prithvi Shaw will get in, and when he doesn’t had best , somebody else will get in…”
“Select, stand by them and provides them an extended run. they’re very fine players and eventually if you do not get runs in Australia then you’ve a drag because like I say it’s an honest place to bat you’ll determine who your match game players in Australia.”
India also will play a day-night Test on the tour, at the Adelaide Oval from December 11-15.
“Australia generally may be a excellent place to bat and therefore the one game where it’d do a touch bit is that the day-night Test. So if you get a chance of it traveling , you better confirm you employ it.
“Probably since the Kolkata follow-on Test (at Eden Gardens in 2001) of these years ago, India-Australia has become an iconic series. Also due to IPL, and therefore the sides knowing one another so well, and therefore the clashes between them it’s become a true watchable series.
“Australia have gone on to No 1 within the Test rankings after the sandpaper gate scandal. i feel it’ll be an incredibly watchable series.”
Hussain also spoke about the ban on use of saliva on ball within the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
