Showing his trust on Rohit Sharma, former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar said that the classy right-hander can help Team India chase down unachievable targets.
It is to note that Rohit, star India opener in the limited-overs format, has been included in the 15-man squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against South Africa beginning 2 October where he will be opening the innings.
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“At the moment, there is no place in the settled middle order in the Test team. Opening will be a new challenge for him, since he has rarely done it in the longer formats. But the advantage is that he will get to bat against a hard ball with plenty of gaps in the field. He will also not have to wait for his turn to bat, which will save his mental energy,” Bangar told ESPNcricinfo in an interview.
“If he succeeds, his style of play will be extremely helpful to the team. It might result in being able to successfully chase down targets that we haven’t achieved in the past, like in Cape Town and Edgbaston,” he added.
Rohit, who is considered as one of the best players of white-ball cricket, has been mediocre with his performance in Tests. The 32-year-old has scored 1585 runs at an average of 39.62 in the 27 Test matches he has played so far. He has only 3 centuries against his name.
However, the matches against South Africa will provide Rohit a new platform to dig in his heels and cement his spot in the longest format of the game.
