West Indies vs India 2019: Why India should try Rohit Sharma at the top in Tests
The three Indian squads for the long tour to the Caribbean were announced not too long ago, and there are many surprises in the squads to say the least. For example, Mayank Agarwal has not been picked in the ODI team despite being in the World Cup squad as an injury cover.
But there was a tiny surprise in the Test squad too: the inclusion of Rohit Sharma.
For a long time, debating whether Rohit can show his true potential in the longest format of the game has been a popular pastime among Indian fans. While his returns in Tests are not so bad overall, they are definitely below-par in overseas conditions. Given the class and ability that he has shown in limited overs cricket, a lot of people have wondered why he hasn't transformed into a world-class player in red-ball cricket too.
At present, it seems Rohit can do no wrong with the bat; he is scoring runs at will. His performance in the recently concluded World Cup was so good that many are hailing him as one of the greatest one-day batsmen of all time.
Here's a look at some of the highlights of Rohit's swashbuckling batting in England:
Now that he has been included in the Test squad again, one of the options could be to make him open the innings along with Mayank Agarwal, who has seemingly found long-term favor with the selectors after several seasons of consistent performances. KL Rahul has had a rough patch with just one century from his last 26 outings, and the likes of Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan have not been picked for the tour's Test squad.
With the inaugural Test Championship all set to kick off, the time might be right for the Indian team to experiment with Rohit at the top of the order. India's current middle order comprising of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant alongside the floater Hanuma Vihari looks settled, so solidifying the openers' slots would be the utmost priority.
The combination of Agarwal and Rohit could do wonders as both of them are naturally gifted and aggressive players who can also see off the new ball. This move might well give a fresh lease of life to Rohit Sharma the Test batsman, just the way his ODI career took off after a promotion up the order in 2013.
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