While the Indian team management is searching for the proper opening partners in Test cricket, the selectors have recently decided to allow Rohit Sharma as a Test opener. But before getting this opportunity, Rohit has hugely disappointed by scoring a duck as an opener in the practice game.
Before the three-match Test series against the hosts India, South African players are busy in the three-day Tour match (26-28 September 2019) against the Indian Board President’s XI at Vizianagaram. Among the Indian Test squad for the upcoming series, only Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav are featuring for the Indian Board President’s XI. Rohit Sharma is leading this Indian Board President’s XI side.
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The day one was entirely washed out in rain. After winning the toss on day two, the visitors managed to score 279/6 before declaring their first innings. Opener Aiden Markram scored a century (100 retired out) while the middle-order batsman Temba Bavuma remained not out on 87 runs.
Among the Indian bowlers, the left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja took three wickets (3/66).
Rohit Sharma faced only two balls
In reply, Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma came to bat as the opening partner on day three. But that partnership only managed to face eight balls as Rohit lost his wicket without opening his account. When he was facing the second ball of that innings, Vernon Philander dismissed him after Heinrich Klaasen took a catch.
At the lunch break of the final day, the Indian Board President’s XI are struggling on 23/2. While the other opener Mayank is batting on 10 runs, Abhimanyu Easwaran lost his wicket on 13 runs. Proteas pacer Kagiso Rabada dismissed Easwaran just before lunch break.
Rohit Sharma is a successful opener in limited-overs cricket. The right-handed batsman is the no.2-ranked ODI batsman at present. Also, he is the second most run-scorer in T20I cricket. Since he took the opening batting responsibility in limited-overs cricket, Rohit has performed very consistently.
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However, Rohit hasn’t achieved big success in Test cricket. While he mostly batted in the middle-order position, he mostly failed to perform strongly against the top-ranked Test teams. As Rohit hasn’t opened in Test cricket yet, and India has no solid Test openers, the selectors want to try out him in this position.