Australia pacer labels Rohit Sharma as a challenging opponent before Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Premier Australian pace bowler Josh Hazlewood has heaped praise on Indian captain Rohit Sharma for his remarkable ability to score freely in challenging batting conditions. Since taking over the captaincy reins from Virat Kohli in red-ball cricket, Rohit has showcased exceptional leadership skills and a strong batting performance at the top of the order. He has amassed 1101 runs as Test captain, including four centuries, showcasing his prowess as a top-order batsman. Under Rohit's captaincy, the Indian team reached the final of the World Test Championship last year, further solidifying his reputation as a captain who leads from the front. His contributions have been crucial in India's success in Test cricket, and his aggressive style of play has earned him praise from his peers, including Hazlewood.

The swashbuckling opener's next big test as captain will be against Australia in a five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under later this year.

Hazlewood, who has been involved in several on-field battles with Rohit in the past, admitted that he found it tough to bowl against the Indian captain, whom he thinks has all the time in the world.

“I remember one time India came out, he batted at 5 or 6 and then last time he opened. He’s faced the new ball a lot. I feel like he plays the quicks unbelievably well. The bounce doesn’t seem to worry him, the movement doesn’t. He’s got all the time in the world. So, I find him quite tough to bowl to," Hazlewood said on Star Sports.

In the recently released ICC Test batting charts, Rohit retained his spot in the top ten batters but moved five places down with his single-digit scores in the first Test of the two-match Bangladesh series.

Ace Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has also named Rohit in the list of players who will pose a big threat to Australia in the upcoming BGT 2024/25.

“Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant are probably going to be the three really big ones. But then you've still got Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Jadeja, and who else will come out—another five, I'm not sure. It's a pretty amazing line-up they've got, so it's going to be a massive challenge. As I said, if we, as a bowling group, are good enough for long periods, hopefully, we can challenge their defence,” he added.

Meanwhile, Australia have not won a Test series against India in the past decade, which includes two series losses Down under. Since winning the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar 2-0, Australia have lost the next four series against India -- two to Virat Kohli's side (2016-17, 2018-19), Ajinkya Rahane (2021) and Rohit Sharma (2023).