Amid all the speculation about Sunday’s third and final ODI versus England at Lord’s and whether it might be Rohit Sharma’s last international appearance former India wicketkeeper batter Parthiv Patel thinks that the former captain is still very able to sign off with a memorable century.
As TOI reported earlier the selection committee has decided that he will not be the top preference opener after the England series this Sunday.
Right now the game on Sunday might also be the 39-year-old’s last appearance for India.
Rohit already has retired from Test cricket ,and from T20 Internationals as well.
Patel said that the India opener has over and over during his career shown that he really responds strongly after a lean run and he expects him to do the same again if Sunday’s match ends up being his last .
“If the Lord’s ODI is indeed the last match of his career Rohit Sharma would want to sign off with a century. He is more than capable of doing that. We’ve seen it throughout his career after two or three low scores, he often bounces back with a match-winning knock in the very next innings,” Patel told JioStar.
“The difference between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has always been consistency. Rohit may not score heavily in every game but when he does, he plays a substantial innings and often ends up winning the Player of the Match award. He didn’t look comfortable in this game,” he added, referring to Rohit’s 47-ball 26 in India’s defeat in the second ODI at Cardiff.
“But this is another opportunity for him to silence his critics. It has happened many times before, and he has always responded with the bat. So, if the Lord’s ODI is indeed his final match, I hope he plays an innings that people remember for a long time,” the former wicketkeeper-batter said.
Patel said Rohit was finding it hard to get used to that different bounce in Cardiff and, really could not take root in his innings no matter what.
Still Patel backed him to fire back at his critics once again and prove he can manage it this time too.
