"He batted beautifully, loves those cover drives and flicks": Dale Steyn lauds Rohit Sharma's fifty in Ranchi ODI

New Delhi [India], December 1 (ANI): Former South African pace bowling legend Dale Steyn has said India's veteran batter Rohit Sharma batted beautifully in the first ODI against the Proteas in Ranchi on Sunday, and he puts bowlers under pressure with his masterly tactics.

Sharma made 57 runs off 51 balls and his innings included five fours and three sixes. His three sixes in the first ODI took him past Shahid Afridi's record for most sixes in ODIs.

Sharma came into the match, needing just three more sixes to surpass Afridi, who held the record with 351 sixes in 369 innings.

The Hitman surpassed his records in 100 fewer innings than the former Pakistan captain, as he now has 352 sixes in 269 innings.

"He batted beautifully. He gave one opportunity to Tony de Zorzi, could have been in a different situation, but he capitalised well after that. He loves those cover drives and flicks, comes down the wicket when he wants to, and puts bowlers under pressure. One particular shot summed up his innings for me: third man was up, point was up, and he just guided the ball delicately past short third man for four. It caught everyone off guard. He was reading the game superbly. He's a fantastic batter. I love watching him, even though I never got him out," Dale Steyn said on JioStar.

Sharma hit two sixes off Prenelan Subrayen and another off speedster Marco Jansen, showcasing his explosive batting style. Hitman brought up his 60th ODI fifty in the 19th over of the first innings.

Sharma could not convert the fifty into a hundred as he lost his wicket to Jansen in the 22nd over. (ANI)

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