Former India selector Devang Gandhi backs KL Rahul as opener, suggests number six spot for Rohit Sharma

Former India selector Devang Gandhi feels that Rohit Sharma should drop to the number six spot in the batting order in the second Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25), which begins on Friday, December 6, at the Adelaide Oval. The Indian captain batted in the middle-order during the warm-up match against Prime Minister's XI in Canberra on Sunday, but he was dismissed for just three runs.

In the first Test in Perth, KL Rahul opened the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal as Rohit was on paternity leave. The talented duo stitched a match-winning 201-run partnership in the second innings. They also opened in the warm-up fixture as Rohit dropped to No. 4.

Gandhi suggested that Rohit should demote himself to No. 6 as Rishabh Pant has shown great potential at No. 5. Virat Kohli will return at No. 4 after skipping the warm-up encounter in Canberra. The former India opener said that India will be able to maintain the left-right combination if Rohit bats in the middle order. Besides, Gandhi also opined that it would be problematic for a middle-order batter to start batting at the top of the order as an opener, but he doesn't feel the transition would be as difficult if it is the other way around.

“In fact, I feel Rohit should come in at No. 6, because Rishabh Pant, too, has shaped up very well at 5...The left-right combo, too, can be maintained that way," Gandhi told the Times of India.

“It becomes difficult if a middle-order batter tries to become an opener in the latter stages of his career. But it will not be difficult for an opener to go in the middle order, especially for Rohit, who started as a No. 6 batter for India," he added further.

Rohit made his Test debut batting at number six spot for India

During India's memorable 2018-19 tour of Australia, Rohit Sharma batted at No. 6 in the Tests, registering scores of 37, 1, 63*, and 5 in the two games he played in Melbourne and Adelaide. Rohit started his Test career in the middle-order and showed glimpses of promise but the biggest complaint was his tendency to throw away his wicket after getting off to good starts. However, he has an exceptional overall record of batting at No. 6, as he has amassed 1,037 runs in 16 matches at an average of 54.57. Three centuries and six half-centuries have come from the 37-year-old's bat from that position.

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Rohit hasn't had much success in the red-ball arena in recent times. He scored just 91 runs from six innings in India's last Test assignment at home versus New Zealand. The Nagpur-born would be hoping to end his lean patch in the high-voltage series against the mighty Aussies.