Rohit Sharma can score a big century: Former India captain and great batsman Sunil Gavaskar has opined that Rohit Sharma should return to his regular opening position for the 3rd Test against Australia in the ongoing BGT 2024-25.
Rohit, who had been the regular opener for the Test team since his return to the side in 2019, slotted in at No. 6 in the 2nd Test vs Australia in Adelaide as India continued with KL Rahul at the top after his impressive performance in the 1st Test in Perth when Rohit was absent on account of the birth of his second child.
Rohit had started his career in Test cricket in the middle order before cementing his place as an opener in 2019. However, his return to the middle order was disastrous as he managed scores of only 3 and 6 in the day-night Test match in Adelaide that India lost by 10 wickets, with the match being wrapped up in the first session of day 3.
Sunil Gavaskar reckons Rohit Sharma must come back to his opening spot from the fourth Test, which will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane, citing that Rahul opened in Perth only because Rohit was unavailable.
Rohit Sharma can score a big century: Gavaskar
“He [Rohit] should return to his regular spot. We should remember why Rahul had opened. He did that because Rohit Sharma was not available for the first Test,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak.
Gavaskar feels if Rohit gets going early on in his innings, he can get a three-figure score as he settles down.
“Now I can understand why they kept him [Rahul] as an opener in the second Test: he had a 200-plus partnership with Jaiswal. But now that he couldn’t score in this Test, I feel Rahul should go back to No. 5 or No. 6, and Rohit Sharma should open. If Rohit scores quickly in the beginning, then he can score a big century also later,” the former opener asserted.
Rohit’s form has been horrific for a while: in his last six Tests, he has averaged 11.83 and crossed the 25-run mark only once. Under Rohit, India have now lost four consecutive Test matches. His place in the side as a skipper and batsman both are under the scanner.
India produced two shambolic batting performances in Adelaide, getting bowled out for 180 and 175, with youngster Nitish Kumar Reddy, playing only his career’s second Test match, top-scoring for the visitors in both innings.
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