After a double failure in Adelaide, which added to Rohit Sharma’s woeful run in Test cricket, cricket legends Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar were the first to advice the India captain to return to his original batting spot in the playing XI for the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. However, former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh ridiculed the idea as he outlined a major concern about Rohit.
With KL Rahul having impressed as an opener in the series opener in Perth, which Rohit had missed owing to the birth of his second child, the team management decided not to tinker with the top-order combination, leaving the 37-year-old to assume middle-order duties in the second Test, for the first time in six years. But while Rahul continued to look sublime as an opener, having finally found his groove again, Rohit fumbled, scoring 3 and 6 across the two innings in the pink ball Test.
Rohit’s performance, amid a 10-wicket loss against the Aussies, led to both Shastri and Gavaskar urging the India star to return as an opener in the third Test in Brisbane, which will begin on Saturday, implying Rahul to bat at No. 6.
However, Ganesh warned India head coach Gautam Gambhir against the “foolhardy” advice as he reckoned it would be huge mistake from the Indian team if Rohit, who is “already short of confidence,” to return as an opener owing to his diminishing returns with the bat.
“Rohit Sharma is already short of confidence and runs. Experts urging him to open at Gabba, is foolhardy to say the least. The series is not being played in the sub-continent where he can throw his bat and get some runs. It will be lamb to the slaughter house if he opens #AUSvIND,” he tweeted.
Rohit Sharma’s declining form
Since the start of India’s Test calendar in September this year, Rohit scored only 142 runs in 12 innings at an average of 11.83. The run comprised only one score of a half-century, while he struggled to score more than 25 in the rest of the innings.
The India captain’s poor run of form left former Australia cricketer Kerry O’Keeffe asking whether the team management should consider a “plan B,” hinting at dropping Rohit from the playing XI for the Gabba Test.
“I think they will pick and stick, India (although) I think consideration has to be given to changing the team. But they won’t,” O’Keeffe told Fox Sports.
“It’s a tough gig to come here at 37 years of age. Rohit has averaged 13 in his last five Test matches (and has) a double failure in Adelaide. You could count on one hand the number of 37 year old-plusses who have come to Australia and had a significant effect on the series. I think Younis Khan of Pakistan is one. Jacques Kallis of South Africa is another. Both averaged over 50.
“Can Rohit Sharma do that in the remaining few tests? That question has to be asked. He’s the skipper. I think he’ll stay, but I think consideration must be given to game plan B. This Australian pace attack is relentless. They are not going anywhere. Is Rohit Sharma?”
