Published 21:28 IST, October 7th 2019
'Rohit Sharma to be a test great,' predicts Shoaib Akhtar
Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami helped India register a comprehensive win over South Africa in the first Test. Shoaib Akhtar showered praises on both cricketers
Rohit Sharma made a dream comeback to Test cricket by scoring centuries in both innings of the first of the three-match Test series against South Africa. Sharma had scored 176 & 127 which were his fourth and fifth centuries respectively in the game's longest format. While Rohit starred with the bat, Mohammed Shami's contribution with the ball was equally important as well. Shami finished with figures of 5/35 at an economy rate of 3.23 which included two maidens. Their contributions helped India register a comprehensive 203-run win as the Virat Kohli-led side added 40 valuable points in their tally and continue to be the table-toppers in the ICC World Test Championship points table with 160 points in three games. Meanwhile, both Rohit and Shami have succeeded in impressing Shoaib Akhtar.
Shoaib Akhtar lauds Rohit and Shami
Shoaib Akhtar was really impressed by the outstanding performances of Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami. The 'Rawalpindi Express' reckons that Rohit Sharma's career in red-ball cricket will only grow after he had scored centuries in both innings of the Test match.
"Rohit Sharma is hitting hundred after hundred and I have been saying that Rohit should be in the Indian Test team. Form here, he will become a great Test player. Rohit the Test player will grow bigger," Akhtar said on his youtube channel.
At the same time, the fast bowling icon also added that he had once told Shami that he would become the' King of reverse swing'.
"I told Shami that I want him to become a tearaway pacer, running through batting line-ups. He has seam and swing, besides that he has reverse swing which very few bowlers in the subcontinent have. I told him you can become king of reverse swing," said Akhtar.
Meanwhile, Shoaib Akhtar, who was a part of the Pakistan squad that had finished as the runners-up in the 1999 World Cup expressed his disappointment by saying that none of the pacers from his country were approaching him for his advice on how they can become better bowlers while Indian bowlers like Shami are keen to succeed.
"Sadly, our Pakistani fast bowlers don't ask me how they can improve their bowling but the Indian bowlers like Shami are doing that. It is a sad scenario as far as my country is concerned."
Akhtar concluded by saying that Virat Kohli is a "bowlers' captain".
Equally good with 'outswingers'
Shami is equally good with his beautiful 'outswingers' that troubles the top order and deadly 'inswingers' that "polish off" the lower order. A peek at his records speaks volumes about the high standards that he has set for himself. He has scalped 158 wickets in 43 Test matches and 130 wickets in just 70 ODIs while mostly staying away from 20-20 version of the game.
With a strike rate of 50.8, he has the all-time best strike rate for any Indian bowler who has taken above 100 test wickers and 2nd best overall after Jasprit Bumrah's 43.7 (62 wickets in 12 test match).
(With PTI Inputs)
Updated 22:43 IST, October 7th 2019