India opener Rohit Sharma reckons that the Kiwi pacer Trent Boult can be lethal in the upcoming 3-match ODI series, beginning in Mumbai on October 22.
Rohit has scored as many as 902 runs in the last 15 ODI innings with the help of 3 centuries and as many fifties at an average of 70. As per the quotes in PTI, talking about the Blackcaps bowlers, Sharma said, “For us, as batters, it will be a huge challenge to face a left-arm seamer and come good. Boult, being one of their prime left-arm fast bowlers, it gives us a challenge. We played them last time so we know what they will bring to the table and what they are capable of as a bowling unit. It’s not just about one left-arm seamer, I guess we have to look at their complete bowling unit. Their bowling attack is very competitive and tends to perform together as a unit.”
He further elaborated, “As I said, we played them last year and they had a very similar bowling attack. It will be the same thing going there and what we did as a team. They had a couple of good practice games here. They got used to the conditions I’m sure about it. But yes, it will depend on how we start and what we want to do as a team. We would like to (continue) from where we left against Australia.”
Indian limited overs deputy skipper didn’t hesitate while accepting that every new series bring out a different challenge onto the table, he said, “The greatest strength of this team is that we treat each series at it comes. Every opposition has their own strengths and weaknesses. So the challenge for us will be to adapt to that opposition quickly. We played against Australia (and won 4-1) and they had different team dynamics. New Zealand has different team dynamics. So the strategies will revolve according to that.”
Sharma was the top run-scorer against the Australia with 296 runs at an average of just over 59 with the help of one hundred and two fifties. He said that Team India’s strategies won’t change much from 2016 when they defeated New Zealand 3-2 in a five-match series. The Mumbaikar said, “We played these guys last year in India, during similar time and their team is also more or less very similar to what we played. As far as the strategies and planning are concerned, it won’t change much from last time around.”
When asked about his personal form, overjoyed Sharma replied, “You feel good when you score runs, the last few years especially it’s been really good. So in that space I am quite happy right now, but the hunger (for runs) will never go, you will take every series as an opportunity and go out and perform the same. For me, every series I play, I feel it is the first game of my career. I want to keep going.”
In recent times, Ajinkya Rahane had opened for India and played some impressive innings in the absence of regular opener Shikhar Dhawan. Asked in which position Rahane will bat with the return of Dhawan, Sharma said, “See, I have no idea about that where he (Rahane) will be batting. Yes, Shikhar is back, but speaking of Rahane, he’s probably grabbed all his opportunities in the last few series that he has played. Now it’s on the captain and the coach, what they want and where they want him to bat.”
Rohit concluded, “It only shows that the strength of this team is so vast that anyone can come in at any time and take the position. So we all have to be on our toes and keep performing the way we have in the last few years.”
