Australia vs India 2020-21: Rohit Sharma Is Going To Get Hundreds If He Bats At No. 4 Position – Brad Hogg
Nov 22, 2020 at 5:29 PM
Former Australian cricketer Brad Hogg reckons that Rohit Sharma will change Australia in the much-awaited four-match Test series scheduled to begin from December 17. As Virat Kohli will be absent in the last three Test matches, the onus is on Rohit Sharma, including Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara to guide the team. But the centre of the talking point is the hitman because he has not good Test stats in a foreign land.
Brad Hogg admitted that Rohit Sharma is not as effective in the red ball game during the tour as he is at home. But he backs the ability the limited over batting mainstay possess.
Citing his satisfactory last year in Australia, Hogg said that the right-hand batsman could be potent and score tons if he bats at number four. He reckons that Team India’s white-ball opener will show his best in Test cricket.
“When Rohit Sharma tours, he is not as effective in the red ball game as when he is at home,” Brad Hogg said on his YouTube Channel. “But the last time he came here, he averaged 35.
“Without Virat Kohli there, he will have to step up and I think he can slot in at No. 4 in those final three Test matches and make a huge impact. I think he is going to get three hundred in that position and challenge Australia. We are going to see the best of him in red-ball cricket,” he added.
Virat Kohli’s absence huge loss for Team India: Brad Hogg
Brad Hogg respects Kohli’s decision to leave midway of the Test series to be with his wife as they are expecting the birth of their first child. But he counts it as a disadvantage for Team India in an important series.
“Well Virat Kohli, rightly so, putting family first and going home for the birth of his first child. But what impact is that going to have on the series? Well, firstly, captaining India. If we look at his record, he has got a great win-loss ratio.
“60 percent of the times that he has lead this team, he has had a win. He averages 55.4 in Australian conditions, so that is a huge loss. So his batting and leadership are going to be missed,” Brad Hogg asserted.
Meanwhile, the tour will begin with the ODI series on November 27 followed by the T20I series. Then, finally Test series will conclude the two-month-long tour.