Rohit Sharma has joined Team India on Wednesday after completing his 14-days quarantine. His addition to the playing XI will be a big boost for the visitors. But the questions have been raised in which place the right-hand batsman will bat on. Former Chief Selector MSK Prasad has also echoed similar sentiments.
Rohit Sharma usually batted at the middle-order before the Test series against South Africa at home in 2019. He replaced KL Rahul from the opening position in that Test series. He scored mammoth of runs from his new position. But Rohit has never opened in the Test series in a foreign land. The Australia tour will be his first away series as a Test opener.
Will Rohit Sharma prefer to open or bat in the middle order? MSK Prasad
MSK Prasad believes that either Mayank Agarwal or Hanuma Vihari will have to make the way for Rohit Sharma. He is also not sure if the star batsman would prefer to open due to lack of match practice.
“It will be a toss-up between Mayank and Vihari. Dropping Mayank will be a tough call since he has scored hundreds and double hundreds over the last 18 months. I am still not sure about Rohit opening because he is coming after a long break. Will he prefer to open or bat in the middle order? That is another question,” MSK Prasad was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
MSK Prasad reckons that the team management will have to decide whether they want a stable start or a batsman to anchor the innings.
“And what kind of role the team management is expecting from Rohit. That is also a factor. Whether they want Rohit to give the team a flying start or anchor the innings in the middle?” he added.
Meanwhile, India has won the second Test to level the four-match Test series with 1-1. They will face off Australia in the third Test in Sydney scheduled to begin on January 7.