India is hosting South Africa for a three-Test series next month, and a lot of discussion has been centered around Rohit opening the innings ever since he was named in the squad. So far, Rohit has made 27 Test appearances for India, scoring 1,585 runs at 39.62, and also has three hundred and ten half-centuries to his name.
“I don’t know whether Rohit will be opening the innings or not,” Rahane spoke at a promotional event in Mumbai on Thursday, 26 September. “If he gets an opportunity to open, I will be glad for him. I also said in west indies, it is tough to see an exceptional talent like Rohit sitting out.”
Rohit is currently ranked at No.2 and No.8 in the MRF Tyres ICC Batting Rankings for One-Day Internationals and Twenty 20 Internationals, respectively. However, he hasn’t been able to replicate that form in the red-ball format of the game, due to which he’s been in and out of India’s Test squad.
Rohit has never opened an innings in the Test format for India, and the highest he’s batted is at No.3, a position on which he averages 21.40, from his four outings, but Rahane backed his team-mate, if given an opportunity, to come good at the top of the order in the forthcoming home Test series against South Africa.
“He has worked hard and if at all he gets an opportunity, I am certain, he will do exceedingly well,” Rahane said. “We all know the quality he possesses. Test format is all regarding mindset and ODI cricket, you can just go out there and back yourself. In Test cricket, seldom if two bowlers are bowling good spells, you need to appreciate that and come out effective and play your game after that.”
The first India-South Africa Test takes place at Visakhapatnam on 2 October.
