Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that if Team India captain Rohit Sharma manages to lead the team to victory in the upcoming Test series in South Africa, his name will be forever etched in Indian cricketing history.
Rohit Sharma was rested for the three-match T20I and ODI series in South Africa, but the Indian skipper will lead the team in the two-match Test series on a month-long tour. The first Test will begin in Centurion on December 26 and the second Test in Cape Town on January 3.
Pathan said that beating South Africa in a Test series in their backyard would be a historic feat, as India has never achieved this feat thus far.
The former cricketer feels captain Rohit Sharma has the chance to achieve this milestone in the upcoming Test series, starting on December 26.
Irfan Pathan said on Star Sports: “If Rohit Sharma is able to conquer South Africa, his name will be kept top-most in India's cricket history as captain and player because only he has the key to win both these matches. He is both an opener and a captain. If you play out the new ball, your other batters will get the chance to shine. That's why you should remove the shine from the new ball.”
Pathan added, “He went fully prepared and batted amazingly in the Test series when he went to England. I feel you will see Rohit Sharma preparing with the same passion before he goes. Rohit's challenge will be to play out the new ball, score his runs and take his team forward. We have two big brothers in this team, Rohit and Virat Kohli. There will be a lot of dependency on both of them.”
Notably, the first T20I between South Africa and India was called off on December 10 due to heavy rain in Durban. The second T20I will be played on December 12.
(With Star Sports/PTI Inputs)
