'Handle Rohit Sharma with care and lots of love': Gautam Gambhir

All the talks leading into the Test series against South Africa was around Rohit Sharma- The Test opener. In his maiden tryst with opening the batting, Rohit Sharma broke an umpteen number of records. Besides becoming only the sixth Indian batsman to register hundreds in each innings of a Test match, Sharma proceeded to become the first player to rack up more than 300 runs in his debut game as an opener and also piped Wasim Akram’s (12) 23-year-old record of hitting most sixes (13)  in a single Test.

Obviously, fans, pundits have been in overdrive since then. Many former players hailed Rohit for his record-breaking debut as an opener, and one of them is Gautam Gambhir. The former Indian opener, who has been a vocal supporter of Sharma getting a chance to open the batting in Test match cricket declared the Mumbai Indians captain as the most dangerous and the best batsman in the world today, likening him to the likes of Virender Sehwag.

“I have no apprehensions in declaring him as the most dangerous and the best batsman in the world today. Like Virender Sehwag, Rohit too can set up and chase Test wins for India. Just handle him with care and lots of love,” Gambhir wrote in his column for Times of India on Thursday.

‘I am glad Rohit didn’t follow stereotypes’

Gambhir also went on to hail the team management for not tinkering with Rohit’s mindset and allowing him to play his natural way. “Whoever advised Rohit Sharma to play his natural game in Test matches was my man of the match. It is easy to get Rohit to get into a defensive mode just because it is Test cricket. But I am glad Rohit didn’t follow stereotypes and instead brought out the game that he knows best.”

The former opener was also pleased with the management’s decision of playing Wriddhiman Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin in the first Test. Saha had a tough game by his standards in the first Test but considering the up-and-down nature of the track, Gambhir felt he was quite good with his keeping especialy to spinners.

“I was pleased for both Wriddhiman Saha and R Ashwin. Both are making a comeback of sorts. Yes, the scoreboard shows 14 byes against Saha, but I thought he was very good with his wicket-keeping to spinners. He is a quiet man but I can tell you he has a lot of cricketing intellect about him.” reckoned Gambhir

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