Shastri, Gavaskar urge ‘subdued’ Rohit to return to opener’s role

Rohit Sharma looks dejected after losing the match.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Former India players Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar want skipper Rohit Sharma to return to the opening spot so that he can be his aggressive and expressive self.

Rohit, who had missed the first Test, dropped down to the number six spot in the pink ball Test after K.L. Rahul excelled at the top in the series opener in his absence.

However, the Indian skipper looked “too subdued” as he managed scores of 3 and 6 in India’s 10-wicket loss here.

“That’s the reason I want him at the top. That’s where he can be aggressive and expressive. Just thought he was a little too subdued, just seeing his body language,” Shastri told ‘Star Sports’.

“The fact that he didn’t make runs, I don’t think there was enough on the field there. I just wanted to see him more involved, and a little more animated,” the former India coach added.

Ahead of the Adelaide Test, Rohit stated that he didn’t wish to tinker with a combination that brought the team success in the series opener which the visitors won by 295-run win at Perth. He even batted in the middle order in the warm up game in Canberra.

However, Rohit did admit it was not an easy decision for him to take personally.

“Personally, it was not easy. But for the team, yes, it made a lot of sense,” Rohit, batted in the middle order for the first time since 2018, had said.

Rahul, who had looked solid with scores of 26 and 77 while sharing a 201-run partnership with fellow opener and centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal in the second innings of the first Test, failed to replicate his form in the second match.

Rahul’s failure to capitalise on the opportunity has prompted former India captain Gavaskar to call for Rohit’s return to his opening slot.

“He should return to his regular spot. We should remember why Rahul had opened. He did that because Rohit Sharma was not available for the first Test,” Gavaskar said on ‘Sports Tak’.

“I can understand why they kept him as an opener in the second Test, he had a 200-plus partnership with Jaiswal.

“But now that he couldn’t score this Test, I feel Rahul should go back to No. 5 or No.6 and Rohit Sharma should open. If Rohit scores quickly in the beginning, then he can score a big century also later,” he added.