'For Test Cricket, He Has To..' - Sunil Gavaskar's Multi-Dollar Advice For Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma ahead of SA Series (X.com)

Indian cricket team captain across all formats, Rohit Sharma, is up for his first big challenge in competitive cricket ever since the World Cup heartbreak unfolded. He landed in South Africa last week to lead his side in a two-game test series starting from tomorrow.

Having said that, ahead of the mega boxing day matchup, Rohit Sharma sweated out in the nets and looked extremely calm and relaxed, given the stakes associated with the pivotal series.

Rohit Sharma's calmness is a ripple effect of the stupendous form that he showcased in the ODI World Cup. He scored 597 runs at a healthy strike rate of 125. Not only that, the skipper's explosive shots in the powerplay helped the team establish early dominance in the game.

However, interestingly, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar wants Rohit Sharma to tone down his aggressive instinct. 

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Gavaskar wants Rohit to bat like a Test cricketer

While speaking to Star Sports, Gavaskar reckoned that the biggest challenge for Sharma is to get his mind into Test cricket since he has been playing white ball cricket for a long while now. 

"First and foremost, the challenge would be to get your mental state into a Test match situation," Gavaskar told Star Sports.

He is accustomed to playing his shots in the first 10 overs itself. But at the same time, Test cricket is a different ball game altogether. As an opener and captain, it's his responsibility to bat deep. 

"He has been batting in the one-day format, where he had decided that he would be playing the attacking role and try and score as much as possible before the field restrictions were lifted in the first 10 overs. We saw that in the World Cup. That was his approach for the World Cup," he added.

Gavaskar suggested that Rohit must bat throughout the day to put India in a comfortable position. He believes that if Sharma passes the initial jitters, he has the ability to take it deep with the range of shots he possesses. If he scored 150 odd runs, India can easily put 350+ runs on board. 

"For Test cricket, he has to change his approach completely because he has to think in terms of batting the whole day. If he bats the whole day, then clearly, with the range of shots he has got, he will be able to end up with 150-plus not, then India will be 300-plus or 350-plus," he further added.

The former cricketer also emphasised the fact that Rohit Sharma's impact as a leader and the opening batter is significant for the morale in the dressing room.

Having said that, Gavaskar understands that the shift in approach is easier said than done. He reckoned that toning down his aggressive instinct would probably be the toughest challenge Rohit Sharma would encounter in this series. 

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