After a heavy 10-wicket defeat in Adelaide, a lot of questions have been raised about India’s performance. The batting vulnerabilities were badly exposed, especially when the pink ball started seaming and swinging around. In the bowling department, no one except Jasprit Bumrah looked like a threat.
Not only has India lost the match and brought Australia back into the series, but it has also complicated its hopes of making it to the World Test Championship final. While there are many things that need to be questioned and fixed, the prominent one is: Should Rohit Sharma open the innings in the Brisbane Test?
Rohit Sharma’s Batting Record in Tests as an Opener
Rohit Sharma has dominated bowlers at the top and has shown that he can bat for long, even in challenging conditions, like England. As an opener, he can put the pressure back on the opposition with his aggressive batting, setting the game nicely for the batters to follow.
In the 64 innings as an opener, Rohit Sharma has scored 2,685 runs at a stunning 44.02 average and a strike rate of close to 60. He has played long innings, with 212 being his highest score. As an opener, Rohit Sharma has so far smashed nine centuries and eight half-centuries, showing why he is regarded as one of the best Test openers.
Rohit Sharma’s Batting Record in Tests as a Non-Opener
While Rohit Sharma has tasted success as an opener, he has struggled fairly as a non-opener. The only position apart from opening that has yielded some good results is the number six position, where he averages 49.80.
Let us have a look at Rohit Sharma’s record according to his batting positions:
Should Rohit Sharma Open or Not in the Brisbane Test?
History has shown that to win Tests in Australia, you need to dominate and play aggressively. If you can put pressure back on the Aussies, they will falter. Otherwise, they will run away with the game.
Rohit Sharma is a perfect candidate for scoring quick runs at the top and giving India’s innings the much-required momentum. Once India has a solid start, batters like Gill, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant can build on it and take the game away from Australia.
While Rohit Sharma has a decent average at the number 6 position, most of those innings have been played in India. He has been most effective as an opener in foreign conditions. With Jaiswal and Rohit opening, Australian bowlers will be punished for anything loose.
If India is to bounce back in the series, Rohit Sharma will have to be at his best as an opener.