India great Sunil Gavaskar lavished praise on Rohit Sharma after he announced his retirement from Test cricket. Rohit, who made his debut in 2013, went on to play 67 Tests, scoring 4301 runs, with 12 hundreds. Rohit took charge of the Indian Test team from Rohit Sharma and led them in 24 Test matches, winning 12, losing 9, and drawing 3. He led India to the final of the World Test Championship 2023 where they suffered a defeat to Australia.

Gavaskar called Rohit Sharma the best puller of a cricket ball, saying that only Viv Richards played the shot as good as the retired India captain.

"I promise you that in the cricket that I have been blessed to watch, only Viv Richards played the pull shot as well as Sharma did. Viv mainly played it down from square leg to wide mid-on by meeting the ball on the bounce, while Sharma got under the bounce and then hammered from midwicket to deep fine-leg for sixes," Gavaskar wrote for his column in mid-day.

"It was destructive and demoralising for a fast bowler to find his fastest delivery disappearing among the crowds. Both Richards and Sharma had other shots too, but it was the pull that took one’s breath away," he added.

Rohit announced his retirement after a long lean run in the format. In his last eight Tests, Rohit had an awful average of a mere 10.3 which fueled his decision to hang his boots in the format. Rohit, however, will continue to play ODI cricket.

Gavaskar praised Rohit's ability to play fast bowling with ease, saying that the Indian captain made him proud when he tackled the trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Hazlewood like spinners during the Australia tour in 2021.

"He had so much time to play the quicks that I remember saying during the famous Gabba Test of 2021 that after the ball was delivered he could take off his helmet, comb his hair, wear the helmet back and still have the time to swat the ball away into the crowd. The Australian quick attack of Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood were really steaming in and bowling quick, but Sharma was facing them as if he was playing spinners," said Gavaskar

"As an Indian at a time when the batters were treated with derision for the discomfort against fast bowling, it made one feel proud to see opposition quicks being treated in this disdainful manner. Today, when batting is all about power, Sharma’s grace was a soothing balm to the eyes even as the ball went to the farthest corner of the stadium."

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