India’s biggest concern at the moment in batting department is their no.3 batsman. After the Indian great Rahul Dravid who managed to maintain his position as no.3 batsman for over 16 years, India has been struggling to find a proper no.3 batsman.
Cheteshwar Pujara, who seemed to be a possible replacement at no.3 looked really great for couple of Test series. After series of poor performances overseas Pujara is finding it hard to grab a spot in the playing eleven. Rohit Sharma who replaced him doesn’t seem to be a good option either. But the Indian skipper is looking to persist with Rohit Sharma rather than Cheteshwar Pujara as a key no.3 batsman.
Rohit Sharma has a vast experience in limited overs format and has been successful as well, but in Test matches it has been a sorry tale so far in the 11 Test matches he played.
“I don’t think it should be very difficult for Rohit to bat at No. 3. He is confident of his abilities. The only thing is that shuffling here and there has not helped him in the past. He should grab this opportunity,” said the former Indian wicket keeper Kiran More.
“It’s good that Virat feels Rohit should bat at that important position. At the end of the day, any batsman who gets a chance has to prove himself, and hopefully, Rohit will be able to do that in the Test series,” More added.
Former India batsman and Mumbai coach, Pravin Amre, too seemed to agree with More, saying: “It’s not a new situation for Rohit. He has batted at the top of the order in about 50 ODIs. So, he has certainly faced the new ball for extended periods. It should not be a problem for him to adjust at No. 3. In fact, he will be eager to make the most of this opportunity.”
Skipper Kohli hopes Rohit will be able to bat aggressively and create the same impact that former India opener Virender Sehwag managed during his long and illustrious career. But, would it be prudent to compare the two, given that they approach the game differently? “I don’t think Rohit will be expected to play Sehwag’s role. After all, Sehwag was an opener. I feel India is looking to replicate the Aussie approach that’s based on aggression. Their batsmen are constantly looking to score through boundaries. Rohit, I feel, is capable of scoring like that,” said Amre.
On the other hand, More felt it would not be correct to compare Sehwag and Rohit. “Every individual has his own way of tackling situations. Each one has to survive at whatever position he is batting at. Rohit has got the experience, and I am sure he will come out with flying colours.”
Rohit’s elevation in the batting order meacaliber of Pujara may be forced to sit out of the Tests in Sri Lanka, or at best, bat at a different position. Would that be unfair to Pujara, who probably is just going through a lean patch?
“The fact that you are being forced to chose between Pujara and Rohit is a good thing for Indian cricket. Both of them are top quality players. Then you also have KL Rahul waiting in the wings for the opener’s slot. The competition will only benefit India,” said Kiran More.