Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris has said that Indian opener and one of the vital cog of the Indian batting lineup Rohit Sharma will struggle against if there will be movement in and off the pitch during the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand. He pointed out that Sharma does not move his feet around too much while facing the new ball and that could well lead to his downfall in England.
“It is pitch dependent… I think I can’t stress that enough. I think if the ball is moving around then Rohit will have his struggles. Rohit doesn’t really moves his feet a lot early in his innings. If that’s the case, then the swinging ball could be a problem for him,” Styris said during Star Sports’ show ‘Game Plan.’
Notably, Rohit Sharma missed India’s tour of New Zealand early last year due to injury and hence his batting at the top of the order has not been tested in conditions helpful for swing and seam bowling.
Rohit, in the past, has struggled against left-arm pacer and New Zealand have two of the best such bowlers going around in the world cricket. Trent Boult has been New Zealand’s go-to man in the longest format with the new ball while Wagner has been used as an enforcer who can purchase a wicket with a relatively older ball.
Styris outlined the role Wagner has played in the rise of New Zealand cricket and in the World Test Championship and said that the Blackcaps would sue him in the middle phase of the innings to get attacking at India’s skipper Virat Kohli after the new ball spells from Boult, Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson.
“There is no secret to New Zealand’s fast bowling plan if you like and that is Southee, Boult and either Jamieson or de Grandhomme will be the third seamer and they bowled till about the 22nd to 28th over with a new ball,” he said.
“And then Neil Wagner comes into the equation. So, when you talk about Wagner, it’s his ability to be aggressive and be a genuine wicket-taking option for somebody like (Virat) Kohli in those middle overs till the new ball comes around.”
India lost the last series against New Zealand and the scepticism over batting shared by Styris is not new for Kohli’s side. Add to that the big stage of the final of a global tournament and it sets up for a riveting contest come June 18 in Southampton.