Former Indian National Cricket Team batting coach Sanjay Bangar has offered a crucial suggestion to the Gautam Gambhir-led Indian team management regarding skipper Rohit Sharma’s batting position in Test cricket.
Sanjay Bangar has suggested that the team management may promote Rohit Sharma back to the top order – this time at No. 3, which is currently occupied by future superstar Shubman Gill.
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Rohit Sharma does a horror run on BGT
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has missed the start of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series to spend some time with his wife after the birth of their second child.
India did not miss Rohit’s serve in the first game and won the match quite comfortably under Jasprit Bumrah. Rohit Sharma returned to the team in the second game and missed the match in Adelaide.
After that, the third Test match in Brisbane ended in a draw, mainly due to rain playing spoilsport. Rohit Sharma’s form has been absolutely abysmal in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 as he has scored fewer runs than Jasprit Bumrah.
While winning in his new position, the No. 6, after sacrificing first to KL Rahul, Rohit scored 3, 6 and 10, making the total 19 runs at an average of 6.33.
One, he might come to bat at No. 3 because if we have to step up our bowling a bit – Sanjay Bangar
Sanjay Bangar, meanwhile, said Rohit’s position could change if India want to strengthen their bowling unit and suggested the skipper spend some time in the middle to regain form.
“That’s a mantra for any batsman. I feel he can do two things. One, he can come in at number 3 because if we need to step up our bowling a bit and add a bit of sharpness, he can definitely change his number,” Bangar told Star Sports.
Bhangar also noted that Rohit lags a bit while facing the bowlers, which is a huge concern.
“Other than that, set yourself up a little early. He seems to be a little late and he’s also late because we’ve seen his bat not go forward for his favorite pull shot. He generally doesn’t miss the pull shot. It’s a signal for every hitter whether he’s playing his best shot or not,” he remarked.
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While offering a solution to Rohit’s problem, the former India coach said that the Indian skipper needs to “settle down a bit early” and will give him some extra time to play shots.
“If he settles down a bit early, he’ll have a bit of time to get his foot forward and then he can play his good shots. The Aussies have bowled him short balls but he’s missed a lot of them. Rohit Sharma needs two or three shots where he can pick up his pace and get a feel for it,” he said.
“Batting is a game of feeling. If you feel your legs are moving properly and you can play your shots, suddenly you feel your lost confidence coming back. It can come in the middle of an innings. It doesn’t have to be in the nets,” Bangar concluded.
