IND vs ENG 2021: "Don't be surprised if he repeats that performance" - Sunil Gavaskar backs Rohit Sharma to emulate his 2019 World Cup form

Sunil Gavaskar has backed Rohit Sharma to repeat his performances from the 2019 World Cup during the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Rohit smashed five centuries at the last ODI World Cup, which was held in the UK.

Rohit Sharma played his first Test in English conditions as a Test opener in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand last month. He returned with scores of 34 and 30, failing to capitalize after getting decent starts in both innings.

However, Sunil Gavaskar is confident that the 34-year-old has the capability to smash big hundreds on English soil as an opener. In a chat with the PTI, the former India skipper highlighted how Rohit Sharma successfully overcame tough batting conditions in England at the 2019 World Cup. Gavaskar said:

"We saw Rohit Sharma score five incredible hundreds in the World Cup in England two years back. The century he got against South Africa was on a tough pitch and cold conditions and he made the adjustments beautifully. Now two years later he is even more experienced so don't be surprised if he repeats that performance in this series too."

𝗙.𝗥.𝗜.𝗘.𝗡.𝗗.𝗦, this is the reunion I am waiting for! pic.twitter.com/nGBhDA6yM4

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) May 27, 2021

While Rohit Sharma is an established player in limited-overs cricket, the jury is still out on him as a Test opener, especially in overseas conditions.

Rohit Sharma's incredible run at the 2019 World Cup

122* vs 🇿🇦140 vs 🇵🇰102 vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿104 vs 🇧🇩103 vs 🇱🇰On this day in 2019, @BCCI star Rohit Sharma broke the record for the most centuries in a @CricketWorldCup tournament. pic.twitter.com/z4xLYmhNNw

— ICC (@ICC) July 6, 2021

Rohit Sharma amassed five centuries at the last ODI World Cup, the most by any batsman in a single edition of the World Cup. The Mumbai batsman finished as the tournament's top run-getter, amassing 648 runs in nine games at an average of 81.

Despite his brilliant form, India went down in the all-important semi-final against New Zealand, with Rohit Sharma being dismissed for just 1.

He will undoubtedly have to play a big role if India want to attain a positive result in the upcoming five-match Test series against England which is scheduled to start next month. One major concern for Team India would be to find Rohit Sharma's opening partner as Shubman Gill is expected to miss at least the first few Tests after suffering a stress-related injury to his shin.

According to reports, the Indian team prefer Prithvi Shaw as a replacement for Shubman Gill and want him to be flown to England at the earliest. They are expected to raise this as a formal request with the BCCI. (1/2)#India #TeamIndia #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/6s9rxyk5lV

— Sportskeeda India (@Sportskeeda) July 3, 2021