Simon Doull, the former New Zealand fast bowler, recently praised Indian cricket star Rohit Sharma for his exceptional approach to batting and leadership. Doull highlighted Sharma as "the most selfless Indian cricketer" he has observed in recent years. He expressed confidence in Sharma's abilities, both as a batsman and a captain, to excel in the upcoming challenges in South Africa.
Rohit Sharma is set to return to the cricketing fray since his last outing in the World Cup 2023 final, leading India in a two-Test series against South Africa beginning December 26. Despite a modest track record in South Africa, where he has scored 123 runs in four Tests without a half-century, Sharma's captaincy debut in the Rainbow Nation is highly anticipated.
India's aspirations to secure their first-ever Test series win in South Africa are bolstered by Sharma's recent form, especially as the team seeks to make an impact in the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle. Sharma's resurgence as an opener since 2019 has been remarkable, with impressive performances, including centuries in challenging conditions in England and India. He boasts an average of over 50 in 25 Tests as an opener, amassing 2092 runs.
Doull expressed his eagerness to witness Sharma's aggressive and selfless style, reminiscent of his World Cup performance, in the South African Test series. Sharma's absence due to injury in the 2021-22 series, which India lost under Virat Kohli's captaincy, makes his participation this time even more significant.
"It will be about tempering his game a little bit. The one thing I have observed about Rohit Sharma in the last 10-18 months is that he has probably been the most selfless Indian cricketer I have seen in a long, long time. He has done everything he possibly could for his team to win. He made this team, he played in a certain way to allow the others in the team to be able to play the way they play, in white-ball cricket in particular," Doull told Star Sports.
"In the World Cup, we saw that he set the tone at the top of the order, which allowed the middle order to play the way they played. So, it's a slight change for him, not too much. I still want him to be that aggressive Rohit Sharma. We do see it in Test matches," he added.
As captain, Rohit Sharma has already demonstrated his prowess, leading India to notable victories both at home against Australia and in the West Indies last year. Doull believes that Sharma is continuously evolving as a Test captain, adopting a more aggressive approach in red-ball cricket.
"The captaincy thing. He is getting really better. He has become a very, very good captain. He was always a very good white-ball captain, but I think he has become a slightly more aggressive red-ball captain. I am looking forward to seeing more of that through this series," Doull added.
With a strong squad at his disposal, Sharma and the Indian team are preparing intensively for their upcoming series. They are currently engaged in an intra-squad match in Pretoria behind closed doors as part of their preparations for the series opener - the Boxing Day Test at Centurion, starting December 26.
This series presents a crucial opportunity for Rohit Sharma and the Indian Test team to conquer what is often referred to as their final frontier in Test cricket, adding a significant chapter to their cricketing history.
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