Team India is all set to face Australia in the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide. However, former national team opener Devang Gandhi came up with a surprising batting order change. While captain Rohit Sharma returns to the playing XI after missing the first Test due to personal reasons, Gandhi feels the senior batsman should come in at number six instead of the opener.
It came at a time when India’s opening partnership was successful with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring 201 runs in Perth. Gandhi sees no need to break the opening pair as he believes Hitman can play a middle role due to his versatility.
Rohit Sharma should bat at number 6: Devang Gandhi
“I actually think Rohit should come at number six as Rishabh Pant has performed very well at number five. This also keeps the left-right combination intact,” Gandhi told Times of India. He said this would bring balance. Stability of lineup.
Gandhi pointed out that beginning the transition to the middle order is much less difficult than the reverse order. “It becomes difficult for a middle-order batsman to adapt as an opener later in his career. But for a player like Rohit who started at number 6, this will be a natural transition,” he added.
Rohit’s pre-six picnic.
Rohit last finished at number six during India’s 2018/19 tour of Australia. Despite some marginal gains in the series, Gandhi believes Rohit’s ability to play spin and pace with equal finesse could make him a valuable asset in the middle.
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However, the captain’s recent appearance has raised concerns. In the warm-up match against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI, Rohit looked tentative and was dropped cheaply for 1, continuing a string of disappointing performances dating back to the recent series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.
India faced a dilemma ahead of the pink-ball Test. To maintain the winning combination of Rahul and Jaiswal in the opening, or to revert to Rohit at the top?
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