Former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan supported Rohit Sharma’s approach of not trying to be aggressively attacking all the time in the recent ODIs. Zaheer made the comment after Rohit began cautiously before accelerating later during India’s nine-wicket victory in the third ODI against South Africa in Visakhapatnam.
Since adopting an ultra-attacking mindset as captain after the 2022 season, Rohit has now shifted back to his earlier style, where he plays patiently in the first few overs. In the six ODIs he has played since Shubman Gill took over as India’s ODI captain, the 38-year-old has scored four half-centuries.
Discussing Rohit’s return to a more classic ODI batting pattern, Zaheer said on Cricbuzz:
“It’s about how you approach the game in different phases. But it also depends on the situation. There are days as an opening batter where you get those deliveries early on that you can cash in on and get that momentum going. Then you can just be the aggressor on that day. Now that conscious effort to be the aggressor is not there, which is not a bad thing.”
He further continued:
“When two openers are batting there, not every day you have to be the aggressor. It’s the understanding you have with your partner, and whoever is having a good day should start with that kind of momentum.”
“Virat’s Form Is Great To Watch”- Zaheer Khan
Zaheer Khan applauded Virat Kohli for managing to refresh his game even after everything he has already accomplished in ODI cricket. In the series decider against South Africa, Kohli showed a determined and proactive approach right from the start, smashing an unusually brisk 65* off just 45 balls.
“It’s good to close the series in a rushed and dominating fashion. And we’ve seen this from Virat in this series, which is a nice sight to witness and a nice approach to have. You have the staggering numbers that he has put up over the years, and back that with something new which he’s dishing out. You are seeing the no-look shot,” said Zaheer (via the aforementioned source).
Zaheer further added:
“He has got a clear-cut plan in terms of how he wants to approach this format now. It’s good to see the strike rate going up and him looking to be aggressive in his approach and putting bowlers under pressure.”
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