Rohit made a memorable debut as a Test opener scoring twin hundreds, breaking many records in the process.
Indian player Rohit Sharma leaves nets after batting during a cricket training session ahead of the second Test match between India and South Africa at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on October 9, 2019. (Photo by PUNIT PARANJPE / AFP)
Captain of the Indian men’s cricket team Virat Kohli feels that it is time to give Rohit Sharma some amount of freedom and let him enjoy his batting at the top of the order. He also hoped that if Rohit continues to enjoy his batting and bats the way he did, India will end up winning more matches than otherwise.
“If a guy like him at the top of the order plays the way he does, we are going to be in situations to go for victory in most of the Test matches. So we are all very happy for him. It’s time to let Rohit Sharma enjoy his batting in red-ball cricket,” Kohli said prior to the second Test match beginning in Pune on Wednesday.
Rohit made a memorable debut as a Test opener scoring twin hundreds, breaking many records in the process. Rohit’s performance helped the Indian team register a convincing 203 run win in Visakhapatnam.
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Notably, Rohit’s career has had a similar graph in limited-overs cricket. After he was promoted to the opening slot in 2013, he has looked a completely different batsman and has even established himself as one of the best batsmen in limited-overs cricket.
He has, however, failed to replicate his success in Test matches, where he was until the first Test in Visakhapatnam batting in the middle order. His career as an opener in Test matches has got off to a flying start and Indian fans would hope that he continues to pile up runs in every match and tour.
Post his blockbuster comeback in Test match cricket, he has jumped as many as 36 places in ICC Test Rankings and is currently at his career-best ranking of 17 in Tests.
Meanwhile, India are sitting comfortably at the top of the points tally with 160 points after three matches and will fancy their chances of clean sweeping South Africa, given the start they have got.
Kohli also gave his views on the points system being followed in the ICC World Test Championship and stated that since wins overseas were hard to come by, they should be given more recognition.
“If you’d have asked me to make the points table, I’d have asked for double the points for an away test win,” he said.
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