Sunil Gavaskar, a cricketing legend, has counseled Indian skipper Rohit Sharma to move away from short, forceful openings and concentrate on scoring big innings, stressing that his prolonged stay at the crease could prove to be a game-saver for India.
In the current Champions Trophy, Rohit has followed an aggressive strategy to offer rapid openings, yet this has translated into regular early fallovers. His best score in the tournament so far is 41 against Bangladesh in the opening game.
"If Rohit plays for at least 25 overs, then India will be at 180-200. Suppose they would have lost two wickets there—just think what they could achieve. They could score 350 or plus," Gavaskar spoke to India Today.
He asked Rohit to show greater sense on the field when he plays aggresively. "There needs to be some judgment. If he allows himself an opportunity to bat for 25-30 overs, he can win the game for the side. That type of pressure is match-winning," Gavaskar felt.
Rohit has been getting scores of 20, 15, and 28 off Pakistan, New Zealand, and Australia respectively till now.
Gavaskar also questioned if a player of Rohit's class is content with such short periods of stay at the crease. "As a batsman, are you satisfied with scoring only 25-30 runs? You shouldn't be! Your contribution to the team will be much more significant if you remain at the crease for 25 overs rather than merely seven, eight, or nine," he added.
Nasser Hussain Backs New Zealand Ahead of Champions Trophy Final
Ahead of India and New Zealand's showdown in the Champions Trophy final on Sunday, former England skipper Nasser Hussain has come out in support of the Kiwis, hailing their grit and calmness in the face of adversity.
"New Zealand will not choke, they won't bottle it. We were dining out with [old Australia batter] Aaron Finch the other day and he hit it on the button—New Zealand are never a team that defeats itself," said Hussain of Sky Sports.
In his opinion, the Kiwis always perform well in high-pressure games. "Across their side, they have some very, very hard cricketers who turn up for every game and give it their absolute best. That's why they are always there in semi-finals and finals," he added.
With both sides primed for a high-pressure showdown, everyone will be watching to see how India and New Zealand cope with the pressure in the title-deciding clash.
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