Mumbai: Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar on Monday said that India’s ODI series against England next month will be a very good platform for Rohit Sharma to show that he will be opening for India in next year’s 50-over World Cup.
Rohit and Virat Kohli (subject to availability), who both play only one format for India, would be back in action in a three-match ODI series against England from July 14-19.
Gavaskar said Rohit knows where he stands in order to make the cut for the ODI World Cup next year.
“When has there not been a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma? There has always been a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma,” Gavaskar said in an interaction organised by Sony Sports.
“He knows where he stands. I think there obviously has been a clear sort of information flow from those who matter and Rohit Sharma. He knows exactly where he stands, and all that he needs to do over the next year-and-a-half leading up to the World Cup is to consistently deliver.
“I don’t think he’s the kind of person who feels any pressure with the talent and the ability that he has. England (tour) is a very good platform for him to show that even a year-and-a-half down the road, he’ll be there opening the batting for India,” Gavaskar said.
Gavaskar also pointed out that scrutiny is constant in Indian cricket, and senior players understand the need to keep performing.
“When you are a young player making a debut, the scrutiny is on you, how you handle international (cricket’s) pressure, whether you have the temperament and the taste for international competition,” he said.
“The scrutiny starts from there, and it hardly ever ends as far as Indian cricket is concerned, and so the scrutiny being on them is not going to be something new for them.
“They know how to handle the pressure, and they know that the only way is to keep on scoring runs, to keep on taking the catches that come their way, affect the run outs and at the same time, be at hand to the captain to give their advice because of the experience that they have had as captains,” he added.
He further noted that for Rohit and Kohli, the focus will now shift more towards fitness and physical conditioning.
“As you age and come post 35, the scrutiny is more on your physical conditioning and fitness rather than the temperament,” he said.
“With the experience that they have, they’ll be able to take care of that quite easily.”
Gavaskar expressed confidence in India’s current white-ball core, saying the group has the potential to build a lasting legacy with sustained success.
“There will be a little tweak here and there, surely, but when you look at the core which is going to be there for the next maybe 8-10 years if not more, I do believe that this team has the capability of leaving up a very lasting, very enjoyable legacy when they finish with their cricket,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gavaskar admitted he was surprised by the timing of England all-rounder Ben Stokes’ retirement from international cricket.
“I thought he would probably retire at the end of the season, play against Pakistan, and when England’s home season ends, that is when I thought he would probably call it a day,” he said.
“The surprise is only in the timing, a little bit earlier than what I thought. Somebody of his calibre, quality, (and) impact not being in the team is always very good for the opposition,” Gavaskar added.
