IND vs SA, 1st Test: 'Great Rohit Sharma Can Better Smith's Ashes Show', Predicts Shoaib Akhtar

In a YouTube video, Shoaib expressed his happiness as Rohit Sharma has finally found his groove in the longest form of the game

Rohit Sharma garnered baulk of praise after smashing a scintillating century against South Africa in the first Test in Visakhapatnam. Out of his 4 tons in the longest format, this innings stands out to be special as it was his maiden hundred as a Test opener. Meanwhile, former Pakistan bowling legend Shoaib Akhtar couldn't stop himself from lauding the right-handers' effort. Posting a video on his official YouTube handle, Akhtar said he had acknowledged Rohit's true potential in 2013.

“I had asked Rohit to add a G, for Great before his name (Great Rohit Sharma) and play in the manner going in with the mindset that he is the best batsman in India,” Akhtar said in the video.

The former Pakistan speedster was delighted as Rohit finally found his groove in red-ball cricket.

“I’m happy that he finally understood the method of Test cricket. Previously he wanted to become a Test batsman when all he needed to was play his natural game without thinking too much,” said Akhtar on his Youtube channel.

He further said that Rohit is also turning out to be a modern-day great like Virat Kohli and Steven Smith. Akhtar asserted that in coming days when India would face England in a five-match Test series, Rohit possesses the ability to amass 1000 runs in the rubber and may surpass Smith's run tally of 774 runs in the recently concluded Ashes series. Significantly, Rohit opened for the first time in Test cricket for India and made the entire team management proud. The dashing batsman shattered several records during his innings, equalling Rahul Dravid's record of six consecutive fifties on home soil in Tests.