Will the Indian team bring Rohit Sharma to open in tests? The Indian batsman answers the question at a promotional event.
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The woeful form of the Indian openers during the ongoing test series in England has been a major headache for the team management.
The team started the test leg of the tour with Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay as their first choice openers. Both the openers gave a decent start in the first innings of the first test, but both failed to . The second innings was pretty forgettable for both the openers.
After the first test, Shikhar Dhawan made way for Kl Rahul to open the innings who batted at number three in the previous test match.
Kl Rahul too, by the way, had a pretty forgettable first test match. But nonetheless, the onus to open the innings was now to be shouldered by Murali Vijay and Kl Rahul.
Also read: Virat Kohli to play third test: Reports
The opening combination changed but the results didn’t. Murali Vijay finished the second test match with a pair to his name. Rahul, on the other hand, struggled throughout and didn’t do much justice to his promotion.
With India already 2-0 down In the series, the team management may be looking for the answers badly.
What if the answers lie in a man or a hitman as they call him?
Rohit Sharma was at a promotional event on Wednesday and was asked whether he would like to open for India in test matches.
This is what he told the media persons. “Look, I have never been offered (to open the innings in Tests) yet but I am open to anything as in whatever the team management wants. I never thought I will be an opener in ODIs when I started playing or when I was playing for India. But it happened along the way, so I (want to) keep my options open. No option is shut for me, so if the opportunity comes, I will take it,”
It is worth noting that right now Rohit Sharma isn’t even a part to the test squad.
“I want to be part of the (Test) team, but it is not in my hands. I have to wait for the opportunity, whenever it comes, I have to be ready for it. To be ready, I am doing everything, training, doing as much as possible to give myself the best chance when the opportunity comes there,” he added.
Struggles of Rohit Sharma against the moving ball is known to one and all. The way the ball is moving in the air in England and seaming after hitting the deck, it feels a long shot that the team management may even consider Rohit Sharma as an opener.
Also read: India’s predicted XI for the third test at Trent Bridge
In some of the previous one day and t-20 matches, it was noticed on several occasions that Rohit was not comfortable taking the strike first ball as he normally does. This raises further questions about his own confidence against the moving ball.
But “ never say never” is what they say, and with Virat Kohli, as the captain, you really do “never say never”.
