Is Rohit Sharma a better option at number six than the opening match against Australia? The report makes surprising claims

Despite being encouraged by some of the top Indian cricket talking heads to return for the opening match, Rohit Sharma is avoiding getting swayed by the proverbial outside noise and will at least play against Australia starting this weekend in Brisbane. He may remain in the number six slot for the third Test. Rohit, who was on maternity leave during the opening Test and scored 3 and 6 after returning in the ‘pink ball’ match, is facing calls to return to the top of the batting order in place of KL Rahul, who also has a high batting average. There is. After heroic performances in Perth, an indifferent performance in Adelaide. Looking at Rohit’s stats in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia), he averaged less than 30 runs after 46 innings in all his batting appearances, but he scored 37.8 runs in 20 innings as an opener . This is mainly due to the following: A successful British summer 2021.

When PTI spoke to a BCCI level 3 coach who previously worked at the National Cricket Academy about the technical aspects of the swordsman’s game, he dissected Rohit’s technique and said that at the moment the opening I explained why it wasn’t a good option for the captain.

“Rohit Sharma has had very limited footwork throughout his career, even when he was in his prime. Obviously, at 37-and-a-half years old, his reflexes have slowed down and he is just a little behind in picking length. ” a qualified batting coach told PTI. on condition of anonymity.

“The same Rohit will look very different in the IPL. He may still score a 35-ball 70 for Mumbai Indians, but they will be facing at least two domestic bowlers scoring in the mid-130s,” he said. added.

But then why is number six better for Rohit in the third Test?The coach has a technical response to it.

“Even in India, if you look at Rohit’s dismissal, he is getting more and more of a fight.The reason is that his front leg stride is getting shorter with age. For example, let’s say 3 feet, you can cut the declination of the delivery from the surface.

“But if your stride is only a foot and a quarter, you’re allowing the same pitch to shape in or shape out. So a world-class bowler will be able to match your inside edge. and the outside edge,” the coach says. A former starting pitcher explained.

He then shared why Rohit is better playing number six at the Gabba.

“To be fair, if your stride is short and your reflexes are impaired, the pink kingfisher will have an even harder time surviving.” I think he said it would come flying fast and slide off the surface.

“With the current footwork, the Red Kingfisher will fly around again and sew into the gabba if he gets open. If he goes into number six, it’s a restrained seam and a restrained old or semi-old kingfisher.” There’s a good chance it’s either a kingfisher.” That’s not very helpful.

“He can make his usual offensive plays and make quick runs. If he comes in when he gets the second new ball, it’s because (Mitchell) Starc and (Pat) Cummins are both It means I bowled 25-odd overs,” he elaborated on his point.

But then Rohit enjoyed some decent success during England’s 2021 tour, becoming the only SENA member to score a Test hundred (127 at the Oval). Looking at his performance in that series, his front-foot stride covering swing and seam movement was more pronounced than what we’ve seen in the past few Tests.

Also, in England, the deviation angle of the ball is greater than in Australia, and even if your stride is short, you may miss the edge.

Former national selection committee member Devan Gandhi gave a clearer explanation.

“Compare the stances of Rohit and Virat Kohli. Rohit has a wide stance and does not have a big stride. Virat has a narrow stance and has a pronounced front foot stride.

“When it comes to Rohit’s bat, number six is ​​the right decision by the team management. There is not enough data in SENA countries to suggest that he has had much success as an opener,” he said. .

Earlier, former coach Ravi Shastri had said that he wanted Rohit to reach the top as he was too modest in the mid-order.

“That’s why I want him to be at the top. That’s where he can be aggressive and expressive. Just looking at his body language, I thought he was a little too reserved,” Shastri said. told Star Sports.

Sunil Gavaskar also expressed a similar opinion.

“I think the fact that he didn’t make runs was not enough on the field. I just wanted to see him more involved and a little more lively,” Shastri said.

“He should go back to his normal position. He needs to remember why Rahul was opened. He did it because Rohit Sharma was unavailable for the first Test,” Gavaskar told Sports He spoke on “Tuck”.