Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has reiterated that Rohit Sharma must open for Team India in the crucial third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia.
Shastri suggested that the Indian captain must reclaim his dominance by opening the innings in the third Test against Australia at The Gabba, Brisbane, starting on December 14.
Ravi Shastri urges Rohit Sharma to lead from the top in Gabba Test
Notably, Rohit Sharma missed the first Test due to the birth of his second child, but he returned for the second Test in Adelaide, where he struggled to make an impact, scoring just 9 runs across two innings while batting at No. 6 to allow KL Rahul to continue as an opener.
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This decision backfired, as the Indian cricket team suffered a crushing 10-wicket defeat against Australia in the ongoing five-match Test series, which is currently tied at 1-1.
Well, ahead of the Gabba Test, Ravi Shastri has insisted that it is best for both India and Rohit Sharma that he should return to the top of the order to showcase his leadership and rediscover his form with the bat.
If he has to do damage, he has to bat at the top: Ravi Shastri
The former Indian head coach, who is currently in Australia as a broadcaster, has also emphasized that opening the innings would allow the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma to take the fight to the hosts early on and set the tone for the match for the tourists at the iconic Gabba.
Rohit’s recent form has been concerning, as the Indian skipper has managed 597 runs in 12 matches, averaging 27.13 in 2014 so far. However, Shastri feels Rohit Sharma can find his mojo back by opening for India, and it would be shocking for him if he didn’t open in the Gabba Test.
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Ravi Shastri was quoted as saying by India Today: “That’s where he’s been at his best over the last eight or nine years. It’s not that he’s going to set the world on fire—he could—but that’s the place that’s best for him. To lead from the front. If he has to do damage, if he has to throw the first punch, that’s the best place from where he can do it.”
Whichever team wins the Gabba Test will win the Test series: Ravi Shastri
As the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 stands at 1-1, Ravi Shastri believes that the Gabba Test will decide the fate of the ongoing Test series between India and Australia. The former Indian captain also predicted that the winner of the third Test is likely to claim the series.
Furthermore, Shastri has stressed that India must strike the perfect balance in their approach, as Australia is entering the Gabba encounter with full confidence after their emphatic victory in the Day-Night Test match at the Adelaide Oval.
Shastri signed off by saying, “It is important that India get their judgment right here, because 1-1 in the series, this is the moving Test match. I feel whichever team wins this Test match will win the series. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind. So, it is very, very important that India get the balance right because Australia has got the confidence back.”
