Rohit Sharma

[The Professor]

Rohit Sharma's average in home Tests is now higher than Sir Don Bradman's.

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Rohit having a dream run in ODI this year. Another ton for him today.

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Match winning ton to win the series for India against Australia.

His 100 conversion ratio in ODI is getting better.

[Durhamfootman]

Has to be the number 1 ODI batsman on current form, surely? He can't stop scoring tons

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I cant't beleive how Rohit Sharma scored 368 runs in a test series in swing conditions like England that too in opening position.There is something seriously wrong, either with England bowling or probably swing conditions were not there when England bowled.

Boult would have not allowed him to score even 200 runs in test format in swing conditions of NZ . He would atleast have one or 2 ducks with other innings of below par test knocks.

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Flopped In important match today.

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Morale booster win for Rohit. Led a team with 5 debutant batsmen and in absence of Virat and Shami throughout the series. Jasprit Bumrah missing the Ranchi test as well. Yet won series comfortably 4-1. Scored couple of hundreds and a fifty. 400 runs as batsman to add to huge win. Wonderful series for him overall

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Announced retirement yesterday from T20i format after winning the WC.

Was part of 2007 Indian win in T20i cup as well, but this is his best major tournament win as captain.

As a specialist batsman, he changed his game to scoring at a good strike rate against top teams like Australia and England and ensuring he played a pivotal role. Only thing is selections could be better but surely India will take this as we were not winning any World cup for long.

[sussexpob]

Probably lacks the consistency in T20s to be considered the greatest limited overs player ever, but there is no one better then he's in form and got his eye in.

Like Kohli, I guess he will retire in all formats soon. Great cricketer to watch, be a shame when he calls it a day

[Durhamfootman]

he had a much better WC than I thought he would. A good way to go out

[andy]

Suprisingly in the ODI squad for series vs SL, thought he may well have called it a day and just concentrated on tests

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Suprisingly in the ODI squad for series vs SL, thought he may well have called it a day and just concentrated on tests

Gautam Gambhir the new Head coach called Rohit and Virat and convinced them to play although they both had planned for rest.

According to Gauti, a player must play all formats, except Jasprit. He said something on the lines that a player should play all formats and if they injured they take rest and then comeback, it should be as simple as that. So not good news for Hardik Pandya who has been going through a long injury period.

Gauti has been responsible for IPL trophy wins as coach of KKR this year. He has patched up with Virat Kohli considering there were atleast two major onfield spats between both of them..

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It is time to drop Rohit Sharma from Test format. He is nearing 38 years. Not giving decent performances expected from a senior . Did a good job for India as test opener considering he was made to bat out of his batting order as middle order position for Mumbai in Ranji trophy. Thanks for all that you have done for Mumbai Ranji team and India test team considering various factors. Well played. Time to move on, I feel.

After playing for Mumbai as middle order batsman and scoring lot of runs for Mumbai in Ranji as middle order, he got the ODI debut and T20i debut and played a lot matches as middle order player. As replacement were required, he did accept the challenge from his traditional batting position in middle / lower middle order to open the innings. Did extremely well whenever he batted for Mumbai in middle order but not so much when he batted above 4. This should have been his position throughout his test career, not in last 1 year of his career. Now, to accomodate KL Rahul or probably to extend Rohit's career by making him bat in middle order due to declining form is senseless mangement. Games selectors and team management play. India has good supply of batsmen who can bat in middle order and developed further for long career. He has transitioned as makeshift opener fantastically in ODI cricket to be a ODI great though which is a different ball game.

One cannot blame him for averaging 42 in test cricket. Apart from Sehwag and Sunny, every other tried opener to have played decent number of tests has failed to be a outstanding opener for India. Gauti, Murali Vijay and Rohit were the next best lot to Sunny and Sehwag who comnpetely outplayed these 3 openers. Gauti and Murali Vijay were proper openers in FC cricket unlike Rohit who was a middle order batsman for Mumbai. It is understandable that he was played out of his batting position in Test and could not succeed as much as Fab 4. Surely would have done better than averaging 42 had he been asked to bat in a middle order position in test which he had done very well for Mumbai in Ranji. Still a good job imo. A proper opener like Gauti did not look as clueless against swing like Rohit did. Gauti's innings in NZ are testimony to this. Gauti was better imo and handled swing well in test format. Watching him there was more hope that he will survive and some of Gauti's innings overseas highlight the difference in quality. Having said that, Gauti was a proper opener, hence no surprise he handled new ball better in tests. So well done Rohit to end up at Gauti level.

But it is time to go. Yashasvi Jaiswal has had a magnificent year and a half with a sensational debut year. Personally I expect Yashasvi to be a better opener that Rohit. India have already wasted a lot of time on KL Rahul. Pointless to waste more on Rohit Sharma. Time to develop another opener.

[andy]

Gaikwad and Jaiswal long term to open for India? In all formats?

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Gaikwad and Jaiswal long term to open for India? In all formats?

It is good that after the T20i Cup win, India has picked a different team of batsmen for T20i. Yashasvi should be played in ODI at the most alongside Tests. No point having player for all three formats and then resting him for some series. Better to let them play two formats and rest in time when the third format is being played by others. Better to play the Test opener in ODI. Keep T20I batting unit separate to test as we have seen after the T20i cup win. The way to go imo.

When we see at probable replacements we have to also consider how the openers are equipped to play the new ball in SENA. This is the key to avoid past mistakes like making Rohit bat as makeshift opener. Those who open in Ranji should be the candidates to open in tests, not promote middle order batsman and show lack of development of players in FC cricket.

The problem is that a senior pro like Mayank Agarwal who had big seasons in Ranji could not cement his place in test side. The Prithvi Shaw experiment failed after ton in debut test because of his fitness issues, sloppy fielding, attitude and off the field issues. KL Rahul was also given a long run...he is in fact still being treated as a new comer. India has run out of openers due to this. I also see there is lack of coordination between BCCI and state team management. There are some batsmen in teams who are doing well at No3 and are quality atleast at Ranji level. Rather than picking them in international cricket and asking them to make No 3 batsman as makeshift opener or ask middle order batsman to open, they should tell Ranji team to let these bunch of players play as openers for two seasons. Let them get used to face the first ball rather than 2nd or 10th or 20th or 50th.

Sai Sudarshan is around 23 yrs, Abhimanyu Easwaran is 29 yrs, Ruturaj is 27.

Out of them Abhimanyu Easwaran is the backup opener for this tour. He could not even face the new ball spell of Australia A bowlers. How do we expect him to face Starc and Pat Cummins who are very much experienced and high quality bowlers. Even Josh Hazelwood and Scott Boland are better than Australia A bowlers.

Ruturaj plays for Maharashtra. He has also played in top order as one down and opener gradually for Maharashtra. He has not lit up the Ranji Trophy the way Indian batsmen do. In the matches against India A just before this Australia series, he failed as opener as well as middle order batsman. His performances do not give the confidence that he is the one to be developed. Ruturaj can be in second T20i team as backup for Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma or as backup when main India ODI team openers are rested for series against SL, Bangladesh etc. I think he will get limited chances at international level. Not enough quality imo as test opener for SENA tours.


Sai Sudarshan has been batting in top order, as an opener for TamilNadu in Ranji trophy. He too hasn't lit up the Ranji Trophy. Alongside Abhimanyu and Ruturaj, Sai too played against Australia A. Did well in one match at No3. Although he came in early, there is still a difference between coming to bat after few balls are bowled and taking guard to face the first ball. Still at 23 years, age is on his side as compared to Abhimanyu Easwaran and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Inspite of lack of a stellar run in Ranji he is one of the better long term option.

Yashasvi Jaiswal was also a middle order batsman in Under 14 Giles Shield and Under 19 tournament when he played for Mumbai. He did not open. However, he opened in Ranji cricket for Mumbai. We all know how well he has done in one and a half year since his test debut. Like I said in the one post before this Ind-Aus series that he needs to cut his aggressive shots in Test, especially in SENA and facing bowlers like Starc, Pat etc. Hope he will do that and 167 won't be his only significant knock. Still at 22 years age is very much on his side and now he also has experience of playing in Australia and West Indies. In mid of 2025 calendar year he will get exposure of playing in England. What then remains of exposure in SENA will then be South Africa and New Zealand. India is playing SA in last quarter of calendar year 2025. Selectors have to back him till next year end as part of learning curve. Then when he tours these countries second time, we hope he will give performances for India which he has given for Mumbai runs-wise.

But I think that management are looking to give KL Rahul another long rope. Very lucky player to average 34 after playing 55 tests and still selectors giving him more chances at age of 32. Clearly selection bias and lack of foresight and no intentions to develop players at young age.