Only Viv Richards played the pull shot as well as Rohit Sharma did: Sunil Gavaskar

Former Indian captain and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has opened up on Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the longest format of the game ahead of the five-match Test series against England in the new World Test Championship cycle.

Gavaskar stated that only West Indies legendary batter Viv Richards could play the pull shot as well as the Indian talismanic batter Rohit Sharma. Richards and Rohit’s pull shots demoralised opposition bowlers, according to Gavaskar.

"I promise you that in the cricket that I have been blessed to watch, only Viv Richards played the pull shot as well as Sharma did. Viv mainly played it down from square leg to wide mid-on by meeting the ball on the bounce, while Sharma got under the bounce and then hammered from midwicket to deep fine-leg for sixes," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-day.

"It was destructive and demoralising for a fast bowler to find his fastest delivery disappearing among the crowds. Both Richards and Sharma had other shots too, but it was the pull that took one’s breath away," Gavaskar added.

Moreover, Gavaskar also hailed Rohit Sharma’s ability to play the quickest bowlers across the globe as if he were playing spinners. Also, Gavaskar recalled one of his quotes from the famous Gabba Test in 2021.

"He had so much time to play the quicks that I remember saying during the famous Gabba Test of 2021 that after the ball was delivered he could take off his helmet, comb his hair, wear the helmet back and still have the time to swat the ball away into the crowd. The Australian quick attack of Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood were really steaming in and bowling quick, but Sharma was facing them as if he was playing spinners," he stated.

"As an Indian at a time when the batters were treated with derision for the discomfort against fast bowling, it made one feel proud to see opposition quicks being treated in this disdainful manner. Today, when batting is all about power, Sharma’s grace was a soothing balm to the eyes even as the ball went to the farthest corner of the stadium," he concluded.

Talking about Rohit’s stats, he has played 67 Tests, accumulating 4301 runs at an average of 40.58.

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