BGT: Shastri Emphasizes Rohit's Vital Role as Opener in Brisbane
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New Delhi, Dec 12 (NationPress) Former India head coach Ravi Shastri stated that the only way for a struggling Rohit Sharma to make his mark in the upcoming Brisbane Test is by taking the lead as an opener against Australia.
Rohit managed only nine runs across two innings while batting at number six during India’s ten-wicket loss to Australia at the Adelaide Oval, which resulted in the series being tied at 1-1. These disappointing performances have left Rohit with an average of just 11.83 over his last six Tests.
“That’s where he’s been at his best over the last eight or nine years. It’s not that he’s going to set the world on fire – he could – but that’s the place that’s best for him. To lead from the front. If he has to do damage, if he has to throw the first punch, that’s the best place from where he can do it,” Shastri remarked.
“It is crucial for India to make the right decisions here because with the series at 1-1, this Test match is pivotal. I believe whichever team wins this Test will ultimately claim the series. I have no doubt about that. Therefore, it is essential for India to find the right balance, especially since Australia has regained their confidence,” Shastri was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Shastri, who led India to consecutive 2-1 Test series victories in Australia in 2018/19 and 2020/21, reminisced about how Shubman Gill guided Rishabh Pant, who remained unbeaten on 89, in a remarkable chase of 328 at the Gabba, securing a memorable series victory.
“I’ll never forget it. During the last session, we needed 140 runs. We had to use two separate changing rooms due to Covid. I went down from the coaches’ room to talk with either Rishabh or (Cheteshwar) Pujara. As I was about to reach the restroom, I overheard a conversation between Gill and Pant.
“Seventy-one overs had been bowled; Gill had been dismissed for 91, and they were the two youngest players on the team, aged 21 and 22. ‘Nine overs left, they need the new ball, they’ll bring (Marnus) Labuschagne on with his leg spin, you’ve got to score 45-50 runs there’.”
“They were strategizing on how to get closer to the target, and I had no intention of interrupting their momentum. So, I just walked past and said, ‘do what you have to do’. Ultimately, we chased down nearly 150 runs in that last session,” he concluded.
Shastri also remarked that the unity within the Indian team during the 2020/21 series, despite strict Covid-19 protocols, was critical to their extraordinary triumph, particularly after the initial embarrassment of being bowled out for 36 in the first Test in Adelaide.
“Being confined and then having to perform at their best in a country like India, with 1.4 billion people, leaves no room for sympathy. ‘To hell with Covid, what’s Covid, just win the Test match.' That’s all that matters to them. There’s no hiding in our part of the world.
“In Covid, you start the first Test match with five bowlers, and those same five bowlers don’t play the last Test. That’s telling. It’s like Australia competing without these five bowlers in the final Test of the series; it’s a different scenario altogether.
“Moreover, there were several batsmen missing as well. Thus, it’s a tribute to the players. A coach can only do so much from behind the scenes. Ultimately, it’s the players who have to step out and perform, and they were magnificent,” he concluded.
