'In his first 40 ODIs or so, he didn't hit many sixes. But after his double century against Australia in 2013-14, his balls-per-six ratio was 27.'
Spin great Ravichandran Ashwin has praised Rohit Sharma's remarkable transformation into a six-hitting machine, as the former India captin surpassed ex-Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi's record for the most sixes in One-Day Internationals.
Rohit achieved the feat during the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi on Sunday during his quickfire knock of 57 from 51 balls, which included three sixes and five fours. He took his sixes tally in ODIs to 352, surpassing Afridi's tally of 351 sixes, who had held the record since 2015.
Ashwin also credited India's aggressive batting philosophy in white ball cricket, which has brought immense success in recent years, to the vision of Rohit and former head coach Rahul Dravid.
"I think what we have seen is Rohit Sharma, both as a captain and as a transformed player. If we look at his early career statistically, in his first 30-40 ODIs, he wasn't the six-hitting powerhouse we know today. Now, to see him surpass Shahid Afridi with over 350 sixes is no small feat," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat.
"Afridi was the original hitting machine for Pakistan in the white-ball game, and Rohit has overtaken that benchmark. How did he do it? In his first 40 ODIs or so, he didn't hit many sixes. But after his double century against Australia in 2013-14, his balls-per-six ratio was 27."
"Since becoming the white-ball captain, that ratio has dropped to 17 -- an incredible transformation. This is also a perfect example of how Rohit stamps his authority as a captain. He sets the tone by showing exactly what he wants from the team.
"The rapid evolution of India's batting in T20S and ODIs owes a lot to both Rohit and Rahul bhai (Dravid). Rahul bhai laid down the principles, and Rohit led by example, paving the way. Over time, this approach has completely transformed the way India approaches batting,"
Virat Kohli smashed his 52nd ODI century to power India to a 17-run victory over South Africa in the first ODI and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.