Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has said that the move to open the innings for India in Test cricket saved Rohit Sharma’s career. The India captain smashed a century as the hosts hammered Australia by an innings and 132 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“The move to open in Test cricket saved Rohit’s career. He looked like he might waste his enormous skill down the order but batting above Virat Kohli has prevented him being overawed by the ex-captain’s popularity. Captaincy has also played a big part in Rohit’s revival; the discipline required to lead a team has added another level to his batting,” wrote Chappell.
The former cricketer said the Indian skipper played a masterful innings that displayed confidence against Australia in Nagpur. Rohit scored 120 runs in 212 balls, hitting two sixes and 15 boundaries. “The state of the pitch was put into perspective by the Indian captain Rohit Sharma. He played a masterful innings that displayed confidence in his own defence, his wide stroke range on a turning – but not impossible pitch – and his ironclad discipline,” Chappell added.
“Not only did Rohit reveal a wide range of shots, he also frustrated the Australian bowlers with the way he only played them when the time was right. He showed all players, home and touring, how to play on Indian pitches, and his example was flawlessly followed by the much improved Ravindra Jadeja,” wrote Chappell.
