"Rohit has a habit of pulling" - Sunil Gavaskar weighs in on Rohit Sharma-KL Rahul opening conundrum for 2nd BGT 2024-25 Test
Former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar weighed in on the ongoing discussions surrounding skipper Rohit Sharma's return and his batting position for the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at Adelaide, which starts on December 6. With Rohit missing the first Test due to the birth of his second child, India opted to play KL Rahul as the second opener to Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Rahul impressed with his technique and temperament in both innings, scoring 26 and 77 in challenging conditions at Perth Stadium. He also shared a match-winning opening partnership of 201 in the second innings with Jaiswal to propel India to a massive 487/6 declared, setting Australia an improbable target of 534.
However, with Rohit certain to return to the 11 for the second Test, India has a decision to make on the second opener spot between the skipper and Rahul.
In a conversation with Sports Tak, Gavaskar backed Rohit to return to the top due to the short square boundaries at the Adelaide Oval, enabling his masterful pull shots to prosper.
"I want Rohit Sharma to come back in the opening because Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal had become a pair. Yes, Rohit was not there, that's why K.L. Rahul returned in the opening. I want Rohit to come back because the square boundaries of Adelaide are very small. And Rohit has a habit of pulling. Pulling is a very productive shot for him. So he can make a lot of runs by pulling shots," said Gavaskar.
Rohit hasn't been in the best of forms, averaging under 16 in the recent home Test series against New Zealand. However, the 37-year-old boasts an excellent record as an opener in Tests with 2,685 runs at an average of over 44 in 64 innings.
"KL Rahul will come to No. 6" - Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar felt Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill's return will mean KL Rahul should bat at No. 6 in the second Australia Test at Adelaide. Rahul had batted at that number in five of his last six Tests before the Perth outing and was originally touted to be India's No.6 for the Australia series.
"No. 6 is KL Rahul. No. 3 is Shubman Gill. Dhruv Jurel didn't make runs in this (Perth) match. So, instead of him, KL Rahul will come to No. 6. I think these two changes will happen. Will there be any other change? Maybe he will change after seeing the pitch or not," said Gavaskar.
Despite batting at No. 6 in recent Tests, Rahul averages under 30 in nine innings at the position. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill had suffered a thumb injury during practice ahead of the first Test. Should his return be delayed, Rahul might slot in at No. 3 in the Adelaide outing.