Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Leading from top
Former India players Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar want skipper Rohit Sharma to return to the opening spot so that he can be his aggressive and expressive self.
Rohit, who had missed the first Test, dropped down to the No. 6 spot in the pink ball Test after KL Rahul excelled at the top. However, the Indian skipper looked “too subdued” as he managed scores of 3 and 6 in India’s 10-wicket loss here.
“That’s the reason I want him at the top. That’s where he can be aggressive and expressive. Just thought he was a little too subdued, just seeing his body language,” Shastri said. “The fact that he didn’t make runs, I don’t think there was enough on the field there. I just wanted to see him more involved, and a little more animated,” the former India coach added.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, Rohit stated that he didn’t wish to tinker with a combination that brought the team success in the series opener which the visitors won by 295-run win at Perth. He even batted in the middle order in the warm up game in Canberra. However, Rohit did admit it was not an easy decision for him to take personally.
Rahul’s failure to capitalise on the opportunity has prompted former India captain Gavaskar to call for Rohit’s return to his opening slot. “He should return to his regular spot. We should remember why Rahul had opened. He did that because Rohit was not available for the first Test,” Gavaskar said.
“I can understand why they kept him as an opener in the second Test, he had a 200-plus partnership with Jaiswal. But now that he couldn’t score this Test, I feel Rahul should go back to No. 5 or No. 6 and Rohit should open. If Rohit scores quickly in the beginning, then he can score a big century also later,” he added.
Siraj fined, Head also sanctioned by ICC
Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj was fined 20 per cent of his match fee, while Australian batter Travis Head was also “sanctioned” by the ICC for indulging in a heated exchange of words during the just-concluded Test. Siraj and Head were held guilty of breaching the world body’s code of conduct following a disciplinary hearing on Monday. Head and Siraj had a brief showdown on Day 2 of the match. Head had struck a splendid 141-ball 140 before being castled by Siraj, who went on to give him an aggressive send-off following an exchange of words.
