"He can give the team a fabulous start like Sehwag" - Former India captain backs Rohit Sharma to fire on Day 5 of 4th BGT 2024-25 Test

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar reckons a rollicking start from Rohit Sharma will bode well for the tourists in their steep run-chase against Australia in the fourth Test in Melbourne. Gavaskar stated that Rohit must provide their side a start as good as Virender Sehwag did in Chennai against England in 2008.

With the home side set a 387-run target by England in Chennai, Sehwag raced off the blocks with 83 off 68 deliveries. It exactly provided the start that the hosts needed as India chased down the target with six wickets to prepare.

Speaking to India Today, the 75-year-old reckons the situation is tailor-made for Rohit to give the visitors a blistering start to what is likely to be a challenging run-chase. He said:

"Yeah, I think, you know, because this is, this is such a situation where he can actually give the team a fabulous start just like Virender Sehwag did in that chase in 2008 against England when India chased down 387 in a day. So clearly I think, not in a day the start the previous evening, but he made it easy for the Indian batters the next day. So clearly, yes, I think a good start, like I said would be absolutely God sent."

Rohit remains massively under the scanner, especially with the bat as his returns have been 3, 6, 11 and 3 in this series thus far. The right-hander last scored a half-century in the previous series against New Zealand.

"They need to break it down into not just sessions, but intervals" - Sunil Gavaskar on India's strategy for run-chase

Sunil Gavaskar (Image Credits: Getty)

With the tourists facing a fourth-innings run-chase of over 330, Gavaskar opined that they need to break it down by hour and keep reassessing according to the situation. He added:

"Well, the key point really is not to, think too far ahead about the 330, whatever target is set for them. They need to break it down into not just sessions, but intervals, like drinks interval that drinks intervals will be so much. At the lunch interval, we’ll be so much, at the first drinks interval after lunch, how much then you know by hour they should plan it by the hour rather than by the session. And see where they are and assess the situation from there."

The unbroken stand of 55 between Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon massively contributed to Australia's lead crossing 330.