Rohit Sharma's Performance Under Scrutiny: Virat Kohli Comparison Highlights Lack of Data to Confirm Success

Rohit Sharma's Performance Under Scrutiny: Virat Kohli Comparison Highlights Lack of Data to Confirm Success

7 days ago | 5 Views

India's captain, Rohit Sharma, has been urged to reclaim his position as an opener in the playing XI for the upcoming third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia at Gabba, commencing on Saturday, following a period of underwhelming performance. Despite external pressures, former national selector Devang Gandhi has downplayed the necessity for a shift in India's batting approach, drawing a comparison between Rohit and Virat Kohli.

With KL Rahul having performed admirably as Rohit's substitute at the top of the order in Perth, the management opted to position the 37-year-old, who was on paternity leave during the series opener last month, at No. 6 in Adelaide. However, Rohit managed only scores of 3 and 6 in the pink ball Test.

After India's defeat by 10 wickets in the second Test, former head coach Ravi Shastri expressed his desire for Rohit to return to the opening position in Brisbane, noting that he appeared too restrained in the middle order. 

"I believe he should bat at the top. That is where he can exhibit aggression and expressiveness. He seemed somewhat subdued, particularly in his body language," Shastri remarked.

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar shared a similar viewpoint, saying that Rahul had batted at No. 6 only because Rohit was unavailable for the first Test. 

“He should revert to his usual position. It is important to remember that Rahul opened due to Rohit Sharma's absence in the first Test. While I understand the decision to keep him as an opener in the second Test, given his 200-plus partnership with Jaiswal, now that he has not scored in this Test, I believe Rahul should return to No. 5 or No. 6, allowing Rohit Sharma to open. If Rohit starts scoring quickly, he has the potential to achieve a significant century later on,” he added.

'There isn't enough data to prove Rohit's success...'

Gandhi, on the other hand, rejected the notion regarding Rohit's batting position by drawing a comparison between the batting stances of Rohit and Kohli. He expressed the view that Rohit has not participated in a sufficient number of Test matches as an opener in SENA countries to substantiate claims of greater success in those conditions.

"Observe the differences in the stances of Rohit and Virat Kohli. Rohit adopts a wider stance, which results in a less pronounced stride. In contrast, Virat's narrower stance allows for a more noticeable front foot stride," he explained.

Regarding Rohit's batting position, he affirmed that the decision to place him at No. 6 is appropriate according to the team management. He noted that there is insufficient evidence from SENA countries to indicate that Rohit has achieved significant success as an opener, as he conveyed to PTI.

Rohit has participated in 46 innings in SENA countries, with an average slightly below 30. However, when batting as an opener in these conditions, his average rises to 37.8 over 20 innings, largely attributed to his successful performances during the English summer of 2021. Notably, four of those innings occurred during the 2020/21 tour of Australia, where he recorded scores of 26, 52, 44, and 7 across matches in Sydney and Brisbane.

Read Also: Tim Paine Sheds Light on Travis Head's Challenges During Langer's Era

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!

#