Rohit set to open against SA
Limited-overs batting stalwart Rohit Sharma will have another chance to resurrect his stop-start Test career, but this time as an opener, when India kick off their three-match home series against South Africa at Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, looking for a record-breaking win.
Victory in the three-match series would see India break the record of 10 straight home series wins they currently hold with Australia.
Sharma has not been a Test regular, however. The last of his 27 Test caps since 2013 was in Australia last year.
He now has a new chance, replacing the out-of-form Lokesh Rahul, as the opening positions remain a problem for India.
“He has worked so hard and if he gets an opportunity, I am sure he will do well,” vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said of Sharma.
“We all know the quality he has. He is simply special.”
With regular opener Prithvi Shaw, who is currently serving a doping ban, not available for selection, Rohit is all set to walk out to open the innings with Mayank Agarwal in his 28th Test for India.
“We want to give Rohit Sharma an opportunity to open the innings in Tests,” chief selector MSK Prasad had said after naming India’s 15-member squad for the series.
While opening is the only shaky spot in an otherwise settled Indian batting order, the top-ranked Test side in the world were dealt a body blow when their pace bowling ace Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the series with a stress fracture in his back.
India will also have to choose between experienced wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, who was recalled after being out injured for more than a year, and the young Rishabh Pant for the wicketkeeper’s role.
The onus will be on India’s slow bowlers to deliver the goods on spin-friendly tracks for the hosts with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and his left-arm colleague Ravindra Jadeja expected to inflict maximum damage on the South Africa batsmen.
Comments