Rohit Sharma Should Get More Chances In Test Cricket, Says Ajinkya Rahane

Rohit Sharma, who failed to make India's playing XI during the Test series against the West Indies, has been getting a lot of support to open in the upcoming home series against South Africa. India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane is the latest to come out in Rohit's support saying that the team management should try him out as an opener in the three-match series. Rahane said that it is "hard" to see a talented player like Rohit sitting out. "I don't know yet whether Rohit will open the innings. If he does, I will be happy for him. I said in West Indies also, it is hard to see a special talent like Rohit sitting out," Rahane said on Thursday.

Rohit Sharma, who has scored three hundreds in 27 Tests, is not considered a traditional Test player but Rahane thinks that Rohit will do well in the longest format of the game if he gets ample opportunities.

"He has worked so hard and if he gets an opportunity, I am sure, he will do well," Rahane added.

"We all know the quality he has - special talent. Test cricket is all about mindset and ODI cricket, you can just go out there and back yourself. In Test cricket, sometimes if two bowlers are bowling good spells, you need to respect that and come out strong and play your game after that," he said.

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly and batting coach Vikram Rathour also came out in Rohit's support to open for India.

"At the moment, I am not too sure what the playing eleven for the first Test will be but if Rohit does well and is opening, why not," Rathour had said.

"I had suggested earlier about trying Rohit Sharma as an opener in Test cricket and I still believe that he needs to be given an opportunity because he is too good a player to be left out in the cold," Ganguly wrote in his column for The Times of India.

As far as the series is concerned, opener KL Rahul was dropped after his dismal show in the West Indies and the selectors included young Shubman Gill in the squad for South Africa series.

Mayank Agarwal, who has three fifty-plus scores in four Tests, has already cemented his spot as one of the openers.

The first Test between India and South Africa will begin in Vizag on Wednesday.

(With PTI Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Rohit Sharma Ajinkya Rahane India vs South Africa, 2019 Cricket