Gavaskar wants Rohit Sharma to stop playing pull shots until set: ‘Put it in cold storage till you get to 80, 90, 100’

The pull is one of Rohit Sharma’s signature shots but it is also something that cost him his wicket a few times, one of which was in India’s first Test against Sri Lanka.

Rohit, who was making his debut as India’s Test captain, hit back-to-back fours off the first two balls of Lahiru Kumara’s over with the shot but he only ended up hitting the fourth ball of the over straight into the hands of long on.

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar said that Rohit may have to use the shot more sparingly in the early stages of an innings in a Test match.

“He has got to think about it. You can argue that it is a productive shot but that is not the only shot. He has got so many others. Now every bowler who has a little bit of pace will fancy his chances against him saying, ‘I don’t mind going for a couple of sixes or boundaries but there will be an opportunity because he hits the ball in the air’,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

Rohit was dismissed on 29 off 28 balls, marking the first time he couldn’t score at least a half century in an innings in four Test matches.

“So he has got to work the percentages out. If he still thinks that that the percentages are working in his favour, then go on playing but at the moment, they aren’t working in his favour. So maybe he should put it in cold storage till he gets to 80,90, 100,” said Gavaskar.

India ended up scoring 574/8 thanks to Ravindra Jadeja’s unbeaten 175. The all-rounder then took nine wickets to lead India to victory by an innings and 222 runs.