Former Australia skipper Ian Chappell on Sunday said that Rohit Sharma’s match-winning innings of 137 against Bangladesh in the quarter-final reminded him of Sri lankan batting great Aravinda de Silva. “Throughout his excellent innings, I was reminded of the discipline displayed by Aravinda de Silva in the 1996 World Cup final,” Chappell wrote for ESPNCricinfo.
“Aravinda scored a century of class and determination to help his team win the trophy, although he denied himself any expansive shots, he still scored at a run rate near 90.” “It was one of the great innings of self-restraint played by a batsman who could be extravagant, bordering on reckless at times,” he said of the Indian right-hander.
The 71-year-old praised opening batsman Rohit for playing a disciplined innings. “Rohit was every bit disciplined, and mostly denied himself the signature lofted shots into the stands or the careless uppish shot through the infield that so often bring one of his promising innings to a premature halt,” Ian said.