After India suffered an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat against Australia in Adelaide Test, India's legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar wants captain Rohit Sharma to return to his usual opening position in the remaining Border-Gavaskar Trophy matches. He believes that KL Rahul, who has been opening the innings, should move back to his original middle-order position.
The Indian team management has experimented with the batting order in the ongoing series. With Rohit Sharma missing the first Test, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal formed the opening pair and helped India thrash Australia in series opener. The duo formed a historic partnership, scoring a double century stand, the highest by an Indian pair in Australia. Their robust show in Perth Test, with Rahul contributing with a solid 77 and Jaiswal with a superlative 161 propelled India to a resounding 295-run win over Australia.
However, despite Rohit returning in the second Test, the team decided to retain the opening pair. Even Rohit second the decision and admitted that it was the right move for the team. He praised Rahul and Jaiswal for their outstanding partnership and their impact on the game.
But Rohit Sharma's performance in the middle order during the Adelaide Test was underwhelming. Moreover, Rahul's struggles at the top of the order have sparked the discussions about the optimal opening pair for the Indian team.
Sunil Gavaskar wants Rohit Sharma to return to his opening spot
Meanwhile, during a conversation with Sports Tak, Gavaskar demanded a revamp in India's batting order for the rest of Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He said that Rahul was only opening the innings in Rohit's absence and was originally intended to bat in the middle order.
"Yes, I think he should come on his regular number. We should also keep in mind that why did Rahul open? Because Rohit Sharma was not available for the first Test. Now he was kept as an opener for the second Test because of his partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal, I can understand that," Gavaskar told Sports Tak.
Gavaskar further argued that the poor performance of both Rohit and Rahul in the second innings highlights the need for a change in the batting order. He also went on to make a big claim that Rohit is more likely to score a century when he opens the innings.
"But he did not make runs in this Test match. So I think Rahul should go on his regular number 5 or 6. And Rohit Sharma should go on his regular number at top. If Rohit Sharma makes 30 runs in the third Test, he can convert it into a big century." he signed off.
With series locked at 1-1, Rohit-led India will look to bounce back in the third Test in Brisbane which is scheduled to be played from December 14.