Gavaskar also drew comparisons between Abhishek and his mentor Yuvraj Singh while speaking about the young opener’s rapid rise and record-breaking potential.
“I think that kind of a record is very, very hard to beat. Getting to a fifty in just two overs is extremely tough. But what Abhishek Sharma has shown over the last several matches is that he is capable of doing that. He has scored a fifty in 14 deliveries in this match and in 16 deliveries on another, so he keeps getting closer.
“I think the happiest person will be Yuvraj Singh. Make no mistake about it, that his record has been taken by someone he is mentoring. That’s what happens when your record is broken.
“You would rather see another Indian take it. When my record of centuries was surpassed by Sachin Tendulkar, yes, there is a small tinge when a record is taken away, no question about that. But who took it? Sachin Tendulkar, another Indian. So, you don’t feel bad about it at all,” he added.
Speaking on Suryakumar Yadav’s form heading into the World Cup, Gavaskar emphasised that the Indian skipper was never short of confidence or timing- only runs.
“I think that his knock the other day in Raipur gave him exactly the confidence he needed. He hasn’t been short of form; he’s been short of runs. What he has been saying is that he has been batting very well in the nets. He’s not struggling there, he’s hitting the ball cleanly and all around the ground. It just wasn’t working for him in matches.
“Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of luck to get going. This time, he didn’t even need luck. That innings was exactly what he needed. It boosted his confidence, and the shots he played were simply amazing,” the former India opener stated.
The 76-year-old concluded by highlighting India’s growing confidence and exceptional depth, particularly in the lower middle order.
“India has complete confidence in themselves. When you have players like Rinku Singh and Hardik Pandya batting down the order, and they haven’t even needed to bat in two matches, and India is still winning comfortably, it tells you the kind of caliber this team has.
“In a 20-over game, if a batter tells himself that he has five or seven overs, he can look to score off almost every ball. It doesn’t always have to be a boundary or a six, it could be a couple of runs, but the idea is to make every ball count.
“That belief is clearly visible. Even if there is a small stumble, this team knows it can recover, regroup, and continue marching towards victory,” he mentioned.
–IANS
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