'Rohit Sharma has made a huge change': Aakash Chopra lauds India opener for 'adapting' in England
While analyzing Sharma's returns with the bat in the ongoing five-match series between India and England, the former India opener lavished rich praise on Sharma for building a new habit and implementing it with great efficiency
36 runs in 175 balls, 83 in 185, 19 in 172, and 59 in 221. These are four of the six scores of India opener Rohit Sharma in the first three Tests. Do these figures suggest that the talismanic batsman has become a changed and well-adapted batsman? At least former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes so.
While analyzing Sharma's returns with the bat in the ongoing five-match series between India and England, the former India opener lavished rich praise on Sharma for building a new habit and implementing it with great efficiency.
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"He has made a huge change. He would be giving a constant reminder to himself that this is his new habit, that he will not hit the pitched-up deliveries, will play close to his body and extremely carefully. I am very happy," expressed Chopra.
The cricketer-turned-expert further stated that a player becomes a "great" only when they learn to adapt. Citing Sharma's calculated approach during the series, which is very different from his otherwise aggressive approach, Chopra heaped praise on Sharma for adapting.
"When you measure greatness, there are many criteria. One is longevity, secondly the stats, the third is how you inspire the others around you, have you created enough difference on and sometimes off the field as well. After that, the last one is adaptability, whether you have adapted yourself over a period of time. When you see all great players, they adapted their game somewhere or the other. The Rohit Sharma we are seeing is adapting."
After the third Test, which saw India go down by an innings and 76 runs at Headingley, Sharma to third in the list of highest run-getters in the series. In six innings, the swashbuckling right-hander has scored 230 runs at an average of 42.
