I bowl seam to add extra value to team: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma recently sprang a surprise bowling seamers in the nets. With the series against South Africa looming, it created a buzz. It's now known that the Mumbaikar began playing cricket as an off-spinner, so was he trying to be an all-rounder now?

“I definitely want to add some value to the team just to make sure that the captain has that extra option wherever we play,” said Sharma in Dharamsala on Wednesday.

If he began playing as an off-spinner and turned to batting because of an injury, bowling off-spin would be logical, isn't it? Why bowl seamers?

Sharma replied, “In India, if the condition demands for a spin bowler, I should be able to bowl spin. When we go outside, like In Sri Lanka where the wicket was seaming a lot in the last Test (SSC), it helps if one more seamer can bowl four, five or six overs that can help the main bowlers get enough break. I just want to add that little extra value to the team.”

As India take on South Africa in the first of three T20 Internationals of the Freedom Series 2015 in Dharamsala on Friday, a full-strength Indian side would have gone 56 weeks since last playing one, against England in a lost cause at Edgbaston. Whereas South Africa have been on a roll in this format.

Sharma agreed that the Indian team faced the challenge of having to play a T20 after a long time. “Considering the fact that a lot of the guys have been playing in IPL regularly, we will use that experience here. Whenever we have played T20, we have always done well.

“It will be a challenge for us to regroup and put up the performance. The ICC World T20 is round the corner. We have to get the best out of all these T20 games we play from now on.”

Sharma did not read too much into the Proteas' loss to India 'A' in Delhi on Tuesday in their only practice game. “In these practice games, they try and field their best combination and try and use their reserve players. Every team is trying something or the other. South Africa are one of the strongest sides.

“Over the years, they have been a consistent team, not just in T20 but in all the three formats. It will be a challenge for us. It will be a challenge for them as well to come out (here) and perform to their best. We would like to stick to our strengths rather than looking at their side and what they are doing,” said the 28-year-old.

One of India's strengths in recent times has been their fielding, as they displayed in Sri Lanka in the recent Test series. Sharma said that India will be the best fielding side in the world.

“We have been practising really hard in fielding and catching. They are some of the things that can change the course of the match. The way we fielded in Sri lanka and with more focus on that, I am sure we will be the best fielding side,” said Sharma, himself a sharp fielder.