MUMBAI: The BCCI on its Twitter account shared a video of Rohit sharma he joined the team in Melbourne after flying in from Sydney on Wednesday, where he underwent a two-week ‘hard quarantine’ period from his arrival in Australia. The warmth among his colleagues was palpable and even an optimist Ravi shastri could be seen and heard joking: “How was the quarantine, my friend? You look younger!” And on the first day of 2021, on Friday, he was anointed vice captain of the Indian team for the last two tests of the ongoing series against Australia.
Having finally found their mojo in test cricket by relaunching his starting career in 2019, Mumbaikar crashed 529 runs in three [email protected], looting three hundred, with a higher score of 212 against South Africa. In cue ball cricket, he has already built a reputation as a feared starter, one of the best, if not the best, today.
However, his inclusion in the Indian lineup in the series, which is locked 1-1 with wounded Australians hoping to recover in Test 3 in Sydney from January 7, could be a double-edged sword. Having been out of action due to a hamstring injury, there is a fear that 33-year-old may be undercooked.
It should also be noted that prior to his reboot as a test starter, Rohit was struggling to cement his place in red ball cricket. And it had a lot to do with his performance outside of India, where he has scored 816 runs in 18 [email protected], not a hundred. All six hundred tests made it home, where he averaged a healthy 46.54 in 32 tests.
In Australia, Rohit has played five events, in which he has scored 279 runs, and his highest score is 63 not eliminated. For all his success as a limited overs hitter at Down Under, his testing average is a modest 31.00.
Having missed the two-round series in New Zealand earlier this year due to a hamstring injury, Rohit has yet to open in a test outside of Asia. It means we still don’t know how good or bad it is as a bowler-friendly trial opener. The question is, in case you open, where can you replace an out of shape Mayank Agarwal (31 runs in two [email protected]), or bat at No. 5, where Hanuma Vihari (45 [email protected]) haven’t you been in good contact too?
For the ex-spinner from India Sarandeep singh, who was part of the selection panel that chose the team for the Australian tour, the question is obvious: “Rohit has stood out as a starter so far in all formats. You can’t suddenly push down on the order in the No. 5 like that. It would reflect the chaotic thinking of the team leadership, “said Sarandeep. “If Mayank comes back after being eliminated, will they play it in the middle order? A starter is still a starter,” Sarandeep said.
Old pacemaker from India Ajit Agarkar matches Sarandeep. “Even if he hasn’t been tested as a starter overseas, he’s their first-choice starter.
It was only for fitness issues that he was not there. If he was good enough to get picked as a starter, I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t play like one, “Agarkar said.” There is enough time until the third test for him to find his touch, “he said. Agarkar is not worried about the fact that Rohit has not yet opened in a test abroad. He missed the tests in New Zealand,” feels the man from 43 years.
Meanwhile, Sarandeep is in favor of continuing Vihari in the middle order. “There is no place in the middle order now, that’s why even KL Rahul has not played. Vihari hasn’t done much wrong so far and needs to receive a full series to prove his worth. He can go bowling too, “he said.
There’s a school of thought that since Rohit is a bit rusty, he could “settle” into the game by hitting in the middle order at Vihari’s expense. Clearly, with someone like Rohit around, there would be less pressure on Rahane in the middle order, especially in the absence of Kohli.
“I think KL Rahul should start (with Shubhman Gill). Rohit should play Vihari’s spot at No. 5. I know he’s started to start in Trials, but right now, he’s lacking practice. At No. 5, things will be a little easier for him. If Rohit gets going, he’ll get a hundred grand for you, “says former India starter. Wasim jaffer.
It was the previous selection committee that encouraged Rohit to “renew” his testing career by trying to open the entrances.
“After the World Cup, in which he broke a record of five centuries, we (the selectors and the team management) asked Rohit if he could open in the tests, as KL Rahul was not doing too well We needed a starter like him on overseas tours. Such a high quality hitter can’t be left out, so we asked him to start, and he scored three hundred against South Africa in that series (in 2019), “Sarandeep said.
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