(Source X)
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra has praised Rohit Sharma as the best Indian batter on turning tracks, despite Team India’s recent ODI series loss to Sri Lanka. Chopra emphasized that Sharma outperforms other top players, including Virat Kohli, on spin-friendly pitches.
During the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, India’s batting struggled significantly. Despite having a full-strength squad, the team lost the series 2-0. Key batters like Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer faced difficulties in scoring runs.
Rohit Sharma stood out as the series’ top run-scorer, amassing 157 runs at an average of 52.33 and a strike rate of 141.44. His innings included scores of 58, 64, and 35. However, he received little support from his teammates, with Axar Patel being the second-highest scorer with 79 runs—almost half of Sharma’s total.
Rohit Sharma Is Cut Above The Rest – Aakash Chopra
In a recent YouTube video, Aakash Chopra praised Rohit Sharma for his capability to deliver explosive starts with the bat during the power play.
“Now, let’s talk about batting. There is one thing in batting. He (Rohit Sharma) is cut above the rest if pitch is turning the pitch, especially as he opens, he gets a bit of fast bowling as well. He gets a bit of hard ball as well.” Chopra said.
In the ODI series against Sri Lanka, India batted second in all three matches and faced difficulties against Sri Lankan spinners on spin-friendly pitches. The first game ended in a tie, with both teams scoring 230 runs. Sri Lanka then secured victories in the following two matches by 32 runs and 110 runs, respectively. In those games, India was dismissed for 208 and 138 runs.
This Thing Bothers You – Aakash Chopra
The former cricketer-turned-commentator noted that bowlers often feel intimidated when Rohit Sharma is at the crease. Chopra highlighted that batting appears more manageable while Rohit is batting, but the Indian team experienced collapses each time he was dismissed in the three matches.
“When bowlers bowl to him they are a bit scared. Where should I bowl? How should I bowl? How should I get out of here? We have seen that he is like that. As long as he played, in all three matches, we felt that batting is easy. As soon as he gets out, we feel that batting is not possible. So, this pattern comes up. And this thing bothers you,” Chopra added.
Under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, India lost 27 of their 30 wickets to spin bowlers during the series. Jeffrey Vandersay of Sri Lanka was particularly impactful, claiming eight wickets across two matches, including a six-wicket haul in the second ODI. Additionally, Dunith Wellalage and Charith Asalanka each took seven and six wickets, respectively, over the course of the three matches.
