'He can carry forward the legacy set by Kohli and Tendulkar': Saba Karim's huge remark on India star before AUS series
Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim was all praise for the Team India batter after Rohit Sharma and Co. thrashed New Zealand in the ODI series.
Centuries from Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and opener Shubman Gill fashioned India's memorable win over New Zealand in the third One Day International (ODI) of the bilateral series. While Indian opener Gill notched up his fourth ODI ton, skipper Rohit ended his century drought by slamming his record-equalling 30th triple-digit score at Indore's Holkar Stadium on Tuesday.
The senior Indian opener equalled Ricky Ponting's feat of scoring 30 centuries in the 50-over format. Rohit's partner-in-crime Gill top-scored for Virat Kohli-starrer India as his second century of the series sealed a comfortable 90-run win for the hosts at Indore. Opener Gill also matched Babar Azam's world record after registering his fourth ODI century.
With opener Gill batting like a dream and shattering multiple records in ODI cricket, former India selector Saba Karim has issued a huge statement about the in-form batter. Speaking to India News about Gill's batting exploits, Karim claimed that the Indian opener can carry forward the legacy of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and former Indian skipper Kohli.
“The temperament is good. He can carry forward the legacy set by Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. The biggest test is overseas conditions. Gill’s track in England wasn’t that good when he played Tests. We hope that he becomes the backbone of Indian batting. We are witnessing such a skill after a long time. In the future, we have to check how he performs against tough opponents. We have to test him in difficult conditions and quality pace bowlers, but the start has been phenomenal," Karim said.
Gill smashed 112 off 78 balls to take his run-tally to 360 in the three-match series. Gill's impressive run-tally is the joint-most recorded by a batter in the three-match ODI series. Babar achieved the same feat against the West Indies in 2016. Gill, who was named the Player of the Series, has also climbed to the No.6 spot in the newly released ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings for batters.
“There are a lot of things about Shubman Gill’s batting. He looks mature with the bat. By maturity, I mean game awareness, reading the game, playing different shots against bowlers, focusing on shot selection, how to run the scoreboard and complementing the partner when needed,” Karim added.
