NEW DELHI: Captain of India Rohit Sharma will lead the side again in the second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval from Friday after missing the first game to spend time with his family for the birth of his second child.
After a strong opening partnership between KL Rahul And Yashasvi Jaiswal In the first innings of the first Test, Rohit's return poses a selection dilemma for the team management. Do they stick with the Rahul-Jaiswal combination for the opening slot or does Rahul make way for Rohit to open alongside Jaiswal?
How a change in batting position could help Rohit Sharma in Tests
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri expressed his opinion on the matter and said that the decision rests with Rohit whether he chooses to open the batting or move to the middle order.
Speaking at the ICC Review, Shastri highlighted the importance of Rohit's experience and pointed out that it could be crucial for India as the team seeks a 2-0 lead against an Australian side looking to level the series .
“This is a fantastic improvement because there is no doubt about his quality,” said Shastri. “He is very experienced. You need this experience in midfield.”
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Rohit started his Test career in the middle order before moving to an opening role. In 41 innings at No. 5 or lower, he scored 1,474 runs at an average of 43.35, including nine half-centuries and three centuries.
While his best performances came in the middle division at home, where he boasts an impressive average of 96.12, his record in Australia was more modest. Rohit has managed 187 runs in seven innings at an average of 26.71, including a crucial half-century in Melbourne during the 2018-19 series.
“There is the right mix of experience and youth in the setup. So whether he opens the bat or goes to the middle order is up to him,” said Shastri.
Should India go ahead with KL Rahul-Yashasvi Jaiswal as openers?
“He has enough experience to recognize where he is most dangerous in Australia. Where does Australia not want to see him? This is the position he should choose. And he’s the leader of the field, so he can afford to do that.”
Shastri also pointed to KL Rahul's good form and highlighted his crucial 77 in the second innings in Perth as another reason why Rohit should consider batting further down the order.
“I think he (Rahul) should continue (opening) because Rohit hasn't had much time since he came here (Australia),” Shastri said.
“Very quickly he had to play the Prime Minister’s XI game. But I would say continue with the same setup. He.” [Rohit] can bat at five or six.
