When India’s squad for the Test series against South Africa was announced, chairman of selectors MSK Prasad made it clear that they were looking at Rohit Sharma as a specialist opener in Test cricket and that they were willing to give him a longer rope to be established in the role. Rohit has also found support from Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, but according to former Indian wicket-keeper batsman Nayan Mongia, who himself was used as a makeshift opener in Test cricket, this new proposal might not be too successful.
“Opening is a specialized job, like ‘keeping. He’s been opening in limited-overs cricket, but Test cricket requires a massive adjustment in mindset. Unless, of course, he decides to stick to what he does in limited-overs cricket – go for the ball. He must stick to his strengths, rather than change his game according to Test cricket. If he does that, it may affect his limited-overs game,” Mongia told Times of India.
“Why not give chances to those who’ve scored 1,000-800 runs in a season as an opener? The likes of Panchal and Easwaran are averaging 50-60 in domestic cricket. When are they going to get a chance? It’s demotivating for them,” he further added.
With KL Rahul struggling to get going at the top of the order, the selectors are now willing to try Rohit in a bid to solve the long-standing woes of openers in Test cricket. India will take on South Africa in a 3-match Test series. Currently, they are ranked number 1 on the World Test Championship points table with 120 points.
