India will have to take important decisions going into the second Test against Australia, starting December 6 in Adelaide. The talk is of course about the batting order of skipper Rohit Sharma, who is back in the squad after missing the first Test for personal reasons. Former Indian cricket selector Devang Gandhi has even gone so far as to suggest that Rohit should bat at No. 6 and not open the innings.
In his recent interview, Gandhi was quite vocal regarding how India may balance the batting lineup while focusing on a previous stint for Rohit at No. 6. “Actually, I feel that Rohit must come at No. 6 as well because Rishabh Pant has shaped up very well at 5… That way, there can also be the left-right combo,” said Gandhi.
Gandhi pointed out that though it is tough to go from a middle-order player to an opener, it is easier the other way round, especially for a player of Rohit’s class. “It will not be difficult for an opener to go in the middle-order, especially for Rohit, who started as a No. 6 batter for India,” he added.
Rohit Sharma’s No. 6 Story
Rohit Sharma has been at No. 6 before. During India’s 2018-19 tour of Australia, Rohit batted at No. 6 in two matches held at Melbourne and Adelaide and scored 37, 1, 63*, and 5.
It could give stability to the batting line up and even provide an opportunity for flexibility.
Making his way back to the team, Rohit’s performance was not too great in the pink-ball warm-up game against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI. He failed to dominate with the bat, and there were huge doubts about his Test cricket skills after the break.
Despite the weather-disrupted match at Canberra’s Manuka Oval, India had positives too. Shubman Gill, fighting out a thumb injury, did finish with a half-century. The spot-sharing for openers remains reserved strictly for Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. Rohit didn’t have much preparation but praised the efforts put forward.
“Yeah, it was fantastic. We got what we wanted as a group. But we were a little unlucky that we didn’t get the whole game. It was washed out the other day. But whatever time we got, we tried to make the most of it,” Rohit said post-match.
Rohit Sharma Can Slove Adelaide’s Quest?
With the pink-ball Test approaching, India faces a tactical dilemma. Retaining Rohit as an opener alongside KL Rahul or placing him in the middle order could significantly impact the team’s dynamics. The suggestion to move him down to No. 6 could free up the opening slots for in-form batters like Shubman Gill, while adding depth to the middle order.
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