Rohit Sharma is someone who can really hurt a bowler on his day, opines Hasan Ali
Hasan Ali heaped praise on Rohit Sharma
|Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali heaped praise on Rohit Sharma and stated that the right-handed opener is someone who can completely dismantle any bowler when he’s in his zone. Ali, who has dismissed Rohit just once, opined that the opener’s ability to read the bowlers makes him a dangerous customer.
Hasan Ali, after spending excessive periods in the sidelines, has put himself back in the world cricket map through his showings in Test cricket, but it was not too long ago that the right-armer was a gun in the 50-over format. Across 2017 and 2018, Ali took an astonishing 64 wickets in just 33 games and was the star performer in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy 2017 triumph, in which he won the Player of the Tournament award.
However, even during his peak, one batsman Ali was never able to tame was Rohit Sharma. The 26-year-old, to date, has dismissed Rohit just once, and has leaked 95 runs in the 87 balls he’s bowled to the right-hander. Notably, during the 2019 World Cup, Rohit dismantled Ali, taking 41 runs off the 26 balls the right-armer bowled.
Going by his own experience, Ali described Rohit as one of the most dangerous batters in the world who could absolutely maul any bowler on his day.
"There are a lot of batsmen who on their day can give tough time. I think Rohit Sharma can give me a tough time and we saw that in Asia Cup, World Cup, and earlier in Champions Trophy. In the Champions Trophy, I didn't get much opportunity to bowl at him but I feel he (Rohit Sharma) can hurt a bowler on his day,” Ali was quoted as saying by Cricwick, reported Times Now.
Many have observed that Rohit is a cut above other batsmen due to possessing the natural ability of ‘having an extra split second’, and Ali opined that this feature enables the 34-year-old to exploit gaps. Ali revealed that Rohit reads lines and lengths early, something he feels makes life hell for bowlers.
“I think Rohit can hit you anywhere and he plays so late, picks the line early and plays pick-up shots which are not easy. Rohit tang karta hay (he troubles you as a bowler).”
As things stand, Hasan Ali is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in Tests this year, having picked 26 wickets in just four matches.
