Updated On: 10 September, 2023 07:44 AM IST | Colombo | Santosh Suri
India star Shubman Gill reckons his opening partnership with Rohit Sharma flourishes as the captain looks to go over the top, while he tries to keep strokes along the ground

India’s captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill celebrate the win over Nepal in Kandy on Monday. Pic/AFP
Undoubtedly, the Indian team have healthy respect for the Pakistani team, especially their fast bowling trio. At every media interaction before an India-Pakistan clash, the two questions that regularly pop up are about Pakistan captain Babar Azam, the top-ranked ODI batsman, and about Shaheen Afridi, along with his new ball partner Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf. Be it captain Rohit Sharma, coach Rahul Dravid or Shubman Gill, all of them talk highly of the rivals despite palpable tensions between the two neighbours on every issue.
“There is no doubt that Shaheen is an excellent bowler and Naseem is equally impressive. However, it must be said that both have their own distinct qualities. While Shaheen swings the ball at high speed, Naseem can be dangerous on pitches where there is bounce. He is quite accurate. It’s always a challenge to face up to them. But then, at the international level, we have to be ready for any challenge. We prepare both mentally and skill-wise to tackle any bowling attack,”
said Gill.