Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh backs Rohit Sharma to bat in top order against Australia in the 2nd Border-Gavaskar Trophy match at Adelaide. The duo of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal forged an opening partnership of 201 runs in the second innings, in the absence of captain Rohit Sharma from the first Test.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are all-ready to return to the playing XI of India ahead of the pink ball Test match in Adelaide. During the warm-up game between India and Australian Prime Minister XI, Rahul and Jaiswal opened the innings, with Rohit coming in at number 4. This sparked rumours that India will go ahead with the same opening partnership and Sharma will bat at number 5 or 6.
Reports suggest that the captain may bat at number five in the Adelaide Test, with Jaiswal, Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Kohli occupying the top four spots. This would move Rishabh Pant to number six, and any of the spinners could take the number seven position.
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh stated, “I don’t see Rohit coming in at number five or six. Either Rohit will open with Yashasvi Jaiswal, with KL Rahul coming in at number three, or he will bat no later than number three. Number six for Rohit wouldn’t be in the best interest of the team. Your top four in batting order should be the four pillars, and someone like Rohit at the top would only add greater fillip.”
Captain Rohit Sharma began his Test career batting at number 6. Over 16 matches, he has accumulated 1,037 runs at an average of 54.5, which includes 6 half-centuries and 3 centuries. His consistency and ability to adapt to different batting positions have made him a key player in the Indian Test lineup.
The hosts are under immense pressure as they eventually lose by 295 runs. They will need to regroup quickly, make key adjustments, and come out with a strong performance to level the series and keep their hopes alive. The Indian side, on the other hand, will look to maintain their momentum and lead the series with another dominant display.
