The India Cricket Team is currently in a debacle. They need to think properly before the start of the IND vs AUS 3rd Test. The visitors were handed a humiliating 10-wicket loss by Australia in the Pink Ball Adelaide Test. And now the onus lies with Rohit Sharma and his side to make a strong comeback into the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
Rohit Sharma under scanner
A lot of questions have been raised about the performance and captaincy choices of Rohit Sharma. The ace batter has been a shadow of himself in Test cricket off late. Throughout the entire 2024 calendar year, he has managed 2 centuries (against England) and 2 fifties.
He missed out on the Perth Test and then moved down to the 6th position in the Adelaide Test. This move was made so that KL Rahul would retain his place as an opener in the team. While the entire team faltered, it is safe to say that KL Rahul was decent in both the innings in the Pink Ball Test.
- India ace group stage but concerns remain ahead of T20 World Cup Super 8
- 5 Ranji Trophy 2025-26 performers who can shine in IPL 2026
- Finger-spin posing challenge to Indian batters, Ryan ten Doeschate says ‘we’ve Samson..’
- ‘Child’ Pakistan want Abhishek Sharma despite 3 ducks, head coach targeted amid T20 World Cup
- Not M Chinnaswamy, KSCA Stadium to host Ranji Trophy final
And now as things stand, things need to go back to the normal way. KL Rahul should slot in the middle order while Rohit should go and open for his country. In Adelaide, Rohit managed to score 3 and 6 respectively, showcasing yet again his poor form. And now the only way in which Rohit can make a comeback would be by batting in his natural position.
While it seems natural for KL Rahul to open for India, Rohit Sharma’s constant faltering is a big headache. Given he is the captain of the team and a senior member, he can’t be dropped from the Playing XI. Thus, for the third Test match, Rohit shouldn’t sacrifice his position and should bat at his natural position where he has flourished over the years.
Rohit Sharma’s stats according to batting position in Test Cricket
| Batting Position | Inns | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | HS | Runs | Avg | S/R |
| Opening | 64 | 9 | 8 | 319 | 56 | 212 | 2685 | 44.02 | 59.05 |
| 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 53 | 107 | 21.4 | 41.63 |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 25 |
| 5 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 38 | 10 | 79 | 437 | 29.13 | 48.56 |
| 6 | 27 | 3 | 6 | 104 | 21 | 177 | 1046 | 49.81 | 59.91 |
| Overall | 113 | 12 | 18 | 471 | 91 | 212 | 4279 | 41.54 | 57.31 |
