'Easier to dismiss Rohit Sharma', says Mohammad Amir
Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has admitted that he fancied bowling to Rohit Sharma than to Indian captain Virat Kohli. The 29-year-old, Amir who has quit international cricket, described the shortcomings of Rohit against left-arm fast bowlers in white-ball cricket. According to Amir, dismissing his compatriot Kohli is "slightly tougher" as he tends to thrive under pressure. Here is more.
Rohit struggles against the in-swinger: Amir
Speaking to Cricwick, Amir said, "I find it easy to bowl to him (Rohit). I feel that I can get him out both ways. He struggles against the in-swinger from a left-armer and as well as against the ball that goes away early on." "I find bowling to Virat slightly tougher because he revels in pressure situations, but otherwise," he added.
Champions Trophy 2017 final: Amir destroyed India's top-order
Amir was on fire in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, having destroyed Team India's top-order. As India attempted to chase 339, he dismissed Rohit for a duck in the very first over. In his next few, he also got rid of the Indian captain Kohli and opener Shikhar Dhawan. Amir registered figures of 3/16 (6) as Pakistan were crowned champions.
Rohit vs Amir: A look at the numbers
Amir has certainly perturbed Rohit in the limited-overs India-Pakistan clashes. In the ODIs, Rohit has managed to score 43 runs off 71 balls against Amir, while the latter has dismissed Rohit once. He has smashed Amir for only four boundaries. Interestingly, in T20Is, Amir has dismissed Rohit twice in a space of seven deliveries, which includes six dot balls.
Rohit has been under the scanner when facing left-arm seamers
Rohit has been under the scanner when it comes to facing left-arm seamers. As stated by Amir, he gets cramped up with the ball that comes in. Even New Zealand pace spearhead Trent Boult has dismissed Rohit on seven occasions in international cricket (Tests: 1, ODIs: 4, T20Is: 2). Notably, Australia's Mitchell Starc has dismissed him thrice across formats.
Amir has dismissed Kohli twice in ODIs
Indian skipper Kohli has scored 40 runs off 41 balls against Amir, while Amir has uprooted Kohli twice. The tally includes as many as 20 dot balls. Although Amir couldn't dismiss Kohli in T20Is, he has conceded only 16 runs off 19 deliveries (12 dots).
Amir retired from international cricket last year
In December 2020, Amir announced a sudden retirement from international cricket. The fast bowler had cited "mental torture" by the PCB's management as the reason behind his decision. He had openly criticized the Pakistan coaching staff, including Waqar Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq for mistreating him. Amir clarified that quite a few members of the management had targeted him over his retirement from Test cricket.
