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'Rohit Sharma Is My Opener...,' Steve Smith Picks Indian Captain In His World Test XI 

Akshita Patel

Steve Smith in awe of Rohit Sharma's opening prowess (@AvengerReturns/X.com)Steve Smith in awe of Rohit Sharma's opening prowess (@AvengerReturns/X.com)

Australian modern day great Steve Smith heaped praise on Indian captain Rohit Sharma stating that if a World Test XI is to be made with the best red ball players in the world, he would pick Rohit Sharma as opener due to the latter’s insane skills to attack dangerously with the new ball.

Rohit Sharma, India’s Test and ODI format captain, is one of the most dangerous and explosive openers in world cricket. His attacking approach at the top sets the foundation for the rest of the team. Not only that, now as the captain, Rohit is passing on the same intent to the younger generation as well.

As an opener, Rohit Sharma has 2658 runs in Test cricket with an average of 46.46 and 58.39 strike rate. He also scored 9 hundred, one double hundred, and 7 fifties across 60 innings.

Steve Smith impressed with Rohit Sharma's intent

Acknowledging Rohit Sharma’s aggressive impact as an opener, Australian batter Steve Smith picked the Indian captain as the preferred opener for a hypothetical World Test XI. Speaking to FOX Sports, Smith opined that Rohit is extremely dangerous with the new ball and puts a lot of pressure on the pacers. Not only that, Smith praised Rohit for being a complete player as he not only has great shots but also solid defence to adapt to tricky playing conditions.

"Rohit is my Opener for the World Test XI. He is so dangerous, takes the game on with the new ball. He plays his shots & has solid defence as well when the situation needs. He puts the bowler under a lot of pressure," Smith said.

While Rohit Sharma’s recent form is underwhelming, he surely is an impactful opener capable of causing early destruction. And ahead of the five-game Border Gavaskar Test series against Australia, team India will bank on the captain to lead the team from the front.

Rohit Sharma confident of BGT despite home series loss

India lost a home series after 12 years as New Zealand beat the hosts in Pune Test to take 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-game series. Now, with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in sight, India captain Rohit Sharma is not overreacting on the setback. He affirmed that with many new faces in the squad, the idea is to have a quiet chat about areas of improvement and back the players to boost their confidence.