"KL Rahul played to survive, Rohit Sharma dominated the bowlers" - Virat Kohli's childhood coach on Indian openers
Rajkumar Sharma pointed out that Indian openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul came out with different approaches on Day 1 of the first Test against Australia on Thursday, February 9.
During a discussion on India News Sports, Virat Kohli's childhood coach mentioned that it seemed as if Rahul's main focus was to survive at the crease. He noted that Rohit, on the other hand, wanted to take on the Australian bowlers and accumulate some quick runs for the team.
Speaking about the performances of Indian openers, Rajkumar remarked:
"KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma's approaches were very contrasting. While Rahul played to survive, Rohit dominated the bowlers. You will have to play like Rohit did if you want to score runs on this track."
He added that Rohit counter-attacking the bowlers helped India gain pole position in the Test match at the end of the first day. Rajkumar predicted that if the Indian batters don't let veteran spinner Nathan Lyon settle in, Australia will look clueless against a star-studded Indian batting unit.
"Rohit Sharma attacking the Australian bowlers was part of a well-planned strategy," the veteran coach elaborated. "It was an important move, as the team that is able to dominate this innings will go on to dominate the series.
"Australia have gone on the back foot completely. The Indian batters are very capable players of spin. If they don't let Nathan Lyon settle in, Australia will be clueless in this Test. India are completely in control of this match."
of the first #INDvAUS Test!
🏻
Stumps on Day 1️⃣ of the first #INDvAUS Test!
#TeamIndia finish the day with 77/1, trailing by 100 runs after dismissing Australia for 177 👌🏻
We will see you tomorrow for Day 2 action!
Scorecard - bit.ly/INDvAUS-2023-1…
#INDvAUS | @mastercardindia https://t.co/yTEuMvzDng
KL Rahul struggled to get going with the bat. While the right-handed batter faced 71 balls, he could only manage to score 20 runs. Rohit scored the bulk of the runs, remaining unbeaten on 56 off 69 deliveries as India finished 77/1 at stumps, trailing Australia's total by 100 runs.
"You need to play with a positive frame of mind on such a wicket" - Rajkumar Sharma on Rohit Sharma's approach
Rajkumar Sharma further stated that it was important for batters to showcase positive intent, given the nature of the pitch at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.
He emphasized that Rohit Sharma used his experience and grabbed onto every scoring opportunity on Day 1. Rajkumar also claimed that batting defensively won't be the right approach on this track, and batters must look to counter-attack.
"Rohit Sharma is a very experienced batter and has a great range of shots," he added. "He saw how the Australian batters grabbed every opportunity to score runs. You need to play with a positive frame of mind on such a wicket. You cannot afford to play defensively."
Rohit Sharma is batting on a completely different surface 🤩
📸: Disney+Hotstar
#CricketTwitter #indvsaus #australia https://t.co/r9QU3Doc3K
Notably, Rohit didn't let the Australian bowlers settle in, particularly Pat Cummins. The senior batter dazzled viewers with his gutsy knock, hitting nine fours and a six. He is at the crease alongside Ravichandran Ashwin, who was sent in as a nightwatchman after Rahul's departure.