Former cricketer Irfan Pathan has hinted that Rohit Sharma will cement his place as the greatest Indian cricketer of all time if under his captaincy India can beat South Africa for their first-ever Test series win at the home ground of the Proteas. India have never won a Test series in South Africa across eight innings, dating back to 1992. They won their first ever Test on South African soil in 2006 under Rahul Dravid, and the closest they came to sealing the series was in 2010-11 when The three-match series ended in a 1-1 draw. In 2018 and 2022, India managed to win the Test but could not capture the series.
Indian cricket has seen some epic victories – in Australia under Virat Kohli in 2018, in England in 2007, and in New Zealand under MS Dhoni – and if they can overcome the final frontier of ‘SENA’, Pathan is confident of winning In South Africa it would be a win. It truly represents a watershed moment in Indian cricket and in Rohit’s career.
“If Rohit Sharma can beat South Africa, his name will remain at the top of the list of names in the history of Indian cricket as a captain and a fielder because he only has the key to winning both the matches. He is an opener and a captain. If you play with the new ball,” he said in a discussion with Star Sports. , and other hitters will get a chance to shine. That’s why you have to remove the shine from the new ball.”
Read also: India coach says ‘Rohit Sharma looks a bit bulky…’ compared to praise of ‘Fittest Virat Kohli in the world’
Leading India to victory in South Africa will be a huge motivating factor for Rohit, who believes he is still recovering from the loss to Australia in the World Cup final last month. Since taking over from Kohli, Rohit has had decent success as India’s Test captain, with five wins and two losses from nine matches. Rohit missed India’s last tour of South Africa in January 2022 with a hamstring injury, and with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy secured earlier this year, the skipper will be keen to get going quickly.
Rohit’s own form, coupled with Kohli’s promise to play a pivotal role in India’s prospects, has Pathan expressing confidence in the skipper replicating his success, as seen during the summer of 2021 against England. Rohit has amassed 368 runs across four Tests at an impressive average of 52.57, including a century at The Oval, a notable 83 at Lord’s, and a strong 59 at Headingley.
“He was fully prepared and batted amazingly in the Test series when he went to England. I feel you will see Rohit Sharma preparing with the same passion before he goes. The challenge for Rohit will be to play the new ball, score his runs and bowl them. He will strike for his team. He will wear a lot of hats “And the most experienced player in your team is the only one who can wear so many hats. We have two big brothers in this team – Rohit and Virat Kohli. There will be a lot of reliance on both of them,” Pathan added.