Rohit Sharma will bat as Test opener against SA
Right-handed batsman Rohit Sharma is India’s opening batsman for the three Test matches against South Africa. The ODI captain, who is not a regular player in Tests, is expected to break to maintain India’s winning streak in Tests.
He will replace Lokesh Rahul in the squad. Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane backed the management’s decision to put Rohit in the position.
‘He has worked so hard and if he gets an opportunity, I am sure he will do well. We all know the quality he has. He is simply special’, said Rahane.
Former cricketer VVS Laxman advised Rohit to maintain his style when he bats for the Test series. He said that Rohit shouldn’t make the same mistake he did when he changed his style when he batted in Test format. Laxman said that the change affected his rhythm in playing.
‘I believe the mistake that I made while opening the innings was to change my mindset, which got me a lot of success as a middle-order batsman, whether it's batting No 3 or No 4’.
‘I also tried to change my technique. As a middle-order batsman, I was always having a front press (front-foot trigger) and then go towards the ball, whereas talking to seniors and coaches, I went to back and across as I had to face Curtly Ambrose (97-away series), who would generate steep bounce from length. This huge change in approach affected my batting and I hope Rohit shouldn't do it’.
‘If you tweak your natural game too much, then you will not get the results as your mind gets cluttered and you tend to lose your rhythm’.
India and South Africa will begin their Test match on October 2 at Visakhapatnam. The teams will play three sets of Test for the series. The scores accumulated from the matches are included in the World Test Championship.
Test is the longest format of cricket. To know more about cricket formats, read the article on Betwala.
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