"He should do better at Test cricket than what his stats probably suggest" - Glenn McGrath on Rohit Sharma
Former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath believes Rohit Sharma's inclusion in the playing XI for the Sydney Test will provide a big lift to the Indian team. McGrath feels the Mumbai batsman should have done better in his Test career given his ability.
Rohit Sharma has missed a big chunk of the Australian tour so far because of injury and fitness issues. However, he has made a comeback to the Test team as soon as he has become available.
Glenn McGrath believes Rohit Sharma will be looking to make an immediate impact after missing out so far.
"Rohit Sharma, he's just a class player. To have someone of that experience, skill and ability coming into the team should be a big lift. He will probably come in and someone like Agarwal or Vihari will go out depending on where Rohit bats. But he will be keen to make an instant impact." McGrath said in a press conference.
"He hasn't had too many matches for a while, so I will be keen to see how he goes. A player of his experience, I always thought he should do better at Test cricket than what his stats probably suggest. He will be a player Australians would be keen to get out quite early because he hasn't had too many games recently." McGrath added.
Rohit Sharma's controversial last few months
Rohit Sharma's name has been embroiled in quite a few controversies over the past few months. The batsman was under the scanner for playing for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL when it was believed that he wasn't fit enough to play in the limited-overs series against Australia.
Even captain Virat Kohli termed the situation as confusing, which indicated the lack of communication between all the parties involved.
After coming to Australia and going through a strict quarantine, it was always expected that Rohit Sharma would be drafted straight into the Indian team.
However, he was involved in another controversy. Rohit Sharma was part of a group of players who were spotted dining out, where they were suspected of breaking the bio-bubble.
But as things stand, the right-handed batsman has been named in the playing XI for the upcoming Test. With all the noise around him, it remains to be seen whether the 'Hitman' can deliver for India against Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
In 32 Test matches, Rohit Sharma has scored 2141 runs at a healthy average of 46.54. However, his average drops down significantly against Australia.
The 33-year-old has played five Tests against the Aussies, managing to score just 279 runs at an average of 31. With the series tied 1-1, India will be hoping Rohit Sharma can significantly improve these stats in the last two Tests.