Ahead of the ICC World Tets Championship final, former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja has backed Rohit Sharma to score a double century if he fires. India will lock horns with New Zealand in the title encounter at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, starting June 18 (Friday).
Ever since his promotion to the top-order, Rohit has fared decently in red-ball cricket. A couple of centuries has cemented his Test berth while the management continues to ponder over his opening partner. One between Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal will partner Rohit Sharma for the all-important clash.
Reports suggest that Gill might walk out with Rohit and Ramiz Raja has also backed the decision. He also observed that playing an aggressive opening duo isn’t risky for the visitors. Raja also believes that the game demands to have an aggressive mindset and thus Shubman and Rohit perfectly fit in the role.
“It is not risky. If you have an opening pair like that, you need to back them. Rohit Sharma will give you a double hundred if he fires,” said Raja in a discussion with India News.
“You don’t have to think much, you just have to go there and play your game. It is very important to be aggressive. The Indian batsmen base their attack on that because their thinking is aggressive,” he added.
Indians will have to play with soft hands early on – Ramiz Raja
Adding further, Ramiz Raja admitted that the Indian team might face some challenges early in the innings. However, he believes that Rohit and Shubman need to play with soft hands only for the first hour as once they get accustomed to the conditions, they just need to play their natural game.
“If it is a half-volley, you need to drive that whether you are playing in England or India. Yes, you have to play with soft hands for the first half an hour but after that once you have settled, the basic principles of batting have not changed in the last 100 years,” concluded Raja.