Former India player Sunil Gavaskar has praised Rohit Sharma, giving him the title of the best puller following the latter’s recent decision to retire from Test cricket.

In 67 Test matches, the 38-year-old scored 4,301 runs in Test cricket, including 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries.

“I promise you, from all the cricket I’ve had the privilege to watch, only Viv Richards played the pull shot as magnificently as Sharma. Viv mostly played it from square leg to wide mid-on, meeting the ball on the bounce, while Sharma would get under it and hit it from midwicket to deep fine-leg, clearing the fence for sixes,” Sunil Gavaskar said.

“It was destructive and demoralising for a fast bowler to find his fastest delivery disappearing among the crowds. While both Richards and Sharma had a variety of shots, it was the pull shot that really left a lasting impression.”

In a heartfelt tribute, Gavaskar highlighted Rohit’s remarkable talent, while acknowledging that consistency had sometimes eluded him during his Test career. He also reflected on a challenging conclusion to Rohit’s red-ball journey, with the batsman averaging just 10.93 in his final eight Test matches.