Hyderabad: Legendary Gundappa Vishwanath, one of the finest batters of his era, heaped praise on India skipper Rohit Sharma for leading from the front in the ongoing Cricket World Cup saying that the Mumbaikar has been handling the game and captaincy well in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023.
Vishwanath, a Star Sports Kannada Cricket Expert, and Commentator for the tournament, also lauded star batter and former skipper Virat Kohli terming him as one of the greatest players in the current era.
Gundappa Vishwanath, who played 91 Tests for the Indian team from 1969 to 1983 and has 6,080 runs to his credit, said the natural favourite to lift the trophy are the unbeaten Men in Blue. India will take on five-time World Champions Australia, in the much-anticipated summit clash of the tournament at the world's largest stadium - 'Narendra Modi Stadium' (Motera) in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Talking about the Indian team's performance in the 2023 World Cup, Vishwanath said, "As far as I have seen, no team has shown such a consistent performance in the history of the World Cup. Even in 1975 and 1979, the West Indies team, which had great players, was defeated. India has been performing amazingly. It is not just in one department (but in all three departments) - batting, bowling, and fielding. We are a strong team."
Gundappa Vishwanath, who represented India in the 1975 and 1979 World Cups, reminisced the performance of the Indian team at that time, while saying that the current domestic cricket is the key ingredient in determining the quality of the international team.
"I don't remember very well whether we used to have a domestic cricket tournament during the 1970-80s. But now there are good quality domestic matches throughout the year due to the performance of the international team (has enhanced)," asserted Vishwanath, a recipient of the BCCI's Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award.
Talking about Virat Kohli's performance in the World Cup, 74-year-old Vishwanath said, "Scoring 50 centuries in a type of cricket (50-over format) is not a small thing."
Vishwanath hailed Kohli for 'his consistency', saying the Delhi batter has been playing in the same way since joining the national team.
Kohli- Sachin not comparable- He refused to compare cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and Kohli. "I will not compare the two. But surpassing his (Tendulkar's) record is not an easy thing. Virat runs more. Due to his fitness, he will play cricket for many more years. Virat has played in all countries, against all teams in various conditions, so I call him one of the greatest players of this era."
It may be noted that Virat Kohli scored his record-breaking 50th ODI ton in the semi-final against New Zealand and broke the record for most ODI centuries, which was earlier held by his idol and batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.
To the question about his favorite player in the World Cup, Vishwanath said, "Everybody has been playing well in this World Cup. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are always off to a good start, then Virat (Kohli), along with Shreyas make contributions the top order. (Wicket-keeper-batter) KL Rahul is doing his job with discipline in the middle order. Chances are limited for Suryakumar Yadav who is coming at number six.
How pacers set the game for India? "(Jasprit) Bumrah, (Mohammed) Siraj and (Mohammed) Shami are doing well in the bowling department, Kuldeep (Yadav) and (Ravindra) Jadeja are supporting them in the middle overs and the overall team is good," he said.
Vishwanath was effusive in his praise for Rohit Sharma.
"I especially like Rohit Sharma's game. He gives the necessary fast start to the team. He swings the bat without looking at who the opponent is. His leadership is also good," he stressed.
Vishwanath noted that in recent years there has been a good bowling performance by the bowlers in India. "After the Kapil Dev era, fast bowling in team India got better. Before that, spinners came into the bowl after four overs. In recent years, there are bowlers, who bowl at a speed of 150 kmph. In the 1970-90 era, West Indies bowling was so strong. Now India too is of that standard," he remarked.
For Vishwanath, who represented Karnataka and has a staggering 17, 970 runs in First Class cricket, the Men in Blue are the favourites to win the Trophy on Sunday.
"India, who have entered the final undefeated, is the favorite team to win the World Cup. But Australia, who have won the World Cup five times, cannot be ignored. Since my time, that team's strength means that if they get a small chance, they use it as a winning strategy. (Glenn) Maxwell's innings and the semis (semi-final) are proof of this. Whoever is the captain of that team, that quality will come into the team," concluded Vishwanath, who had worked as a match referee.
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