VVS Laxman has given two tips to Rohit Sharma ahead of the final of the World Test Championship against New Zealand starting on Friday: Know that your off-stump is to leave the ball outside and do not cross the left foot too much while facing Trent Boult. Which is likely to swing the ball into the batsman. Laxman was speaking at a virtual press conference organized by broadcaster Star Sports, in which Ian Bishop and Shane Bond were his co-panelists.
"I think it is very important not only for Rohit but for every opener to know where your off-stump is," Laxman said. "And Rohit, ever since he opened for the Indian team in Indian conditions against South Africa, the way he knew where his off-stump was, he was very disciplined at the start of the innings. And if Rohit repeats it. Can England, I am sure he will do well.
"We all know he is an incredible and talented batsman. He is a match-winner for the Indian team. But knowing where your off-stump is and dropping balls outside the off-stump in the channel of uncertainty is something that Rohit Attention is required.
"Another challenge is in the form of Trent Boult who can get the ball inside. So I think he also knows that against Trent Boult, he can't cross his left leg, he has to go as far as possible. Gotta play with the face. Batting back towards the bowler and the umpire. These are two things that Rohit definitely needs to address at the start of the innings."
Meanwhile, Bond believes that Sharma has the ability to impose himself on the bowling attack, as did Matthew Hayden in his time. The former New Zealand fast bowler is part of Mumbai Indians, of which both Sharma and Boult are part. All three were part of the IPL winning Mumbai Indians team in the UAE last September.
Bond said that the jokes for the WTC final between Sharma and Boult started much earlier during the 2021 IPL season.
"What I do know is that even during the IPL season, Trent Boult was running, swinging the ball and hitting him (Sharma) on the pads and telling him, 'This is what's going to happen in the World Test Championship final. '," Bond said with a laugh. "So he was talking about it four months ago, there was a joke going on, which was awesome. They both knew they were going to come up against each other." I love Rohit Sharma as a player, I have seen him almost like Matt Hayden where he goes out, as he did on very difficult wickets against England in the series in India, and he himself imposed. He can come out and score very quickly, he is the kind of player who is very dynamic in tough conditions, like Rishabh Pant, can take the game away from the team at a very good hour, even when New Zealand is bowling with the new ball. So with the field and he being such a stroke-maker, it suits him to be at the top of the order when the ball is tough. "Obviously there are some areas in his game that New Zealand would like to take advantage of but what he does is he scores fast and if he can score fast and get runs on the board, then it's an instant attack on the bowling attack. Puts pressure and there's nothing worse than scoring runs as a bowler especially if you're trying to pitch the ball. I can't wait for the Boult-Sharma fight that's going on and I'm on the boys' side. Hoping for some smiles in between too."
As for the rest of the Indian batting line-up too, Laxman emphasized on how playing the ball late would help him cover a late swing of the duke ball. Know where the off-stump is, and always look for the full ball and a good, long, big stride," said Laxman. "What enables him to do that is to play the ball late, let the ball come closer to him." And then they can cover the late swing that the bowler Duke will take off the ball and also the lateral movement that they can probably take out because of the conditions there." Boult further added that after finishing runners-up in the 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups. It was the "best chance" for New Zealand to take home the ICC trophy after the latter, and they were expected to pick up Colin and play five fast bowlers. De Grandhomme is ahead of spinner Ejaz Patel, who was handed the final 15 ahead of Mitchell Santner on Tuesday Laxman and Bishop both predicted India to pick up five batsmen, Pant as the wicket-keeper at number six, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja as the spin-bowling all-rounders and three fast bowlers.