Rohit Sharma should continue at No. 6 for India's future: Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara suggested that Rohit Sharma should continue batting at No. 6, prioritising the future of Indian cricket. The talismanic Indian skipper sacrificed his opening spot in the second Test in Adelaide to allow the in-form duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to continue at the top of the order after their match-winning 201-run partnership in the first Test.

Rohit has been struggling with the bat in the 2024-25 season as he has an average of just 11.83 from six Tests. The 37-year-old missed the first Test in Perth as he was on paternity leave. He returned to the side in the second Test but registered scores of three and six in the two innings.

Pujara feels that Rohit would be better served if he shows more positive intent with the bat and works on his footwork ahead of the third Test, which commences on Saturday, December 14 at the iconic Gabba in Brisbane.

"He has not scored a lot of runs against New Zealand and he did not start well in Australia, so there is a bit of pressure on him to perform. But someone like him who knows his game will just have to be more positive, and work a bit more on his footwork. If he has a slightly bigger stride, it will help him," Cheteshwar Pujara said in a video by ESPNcricinfo in the build-up to the Brisbane Test match.

Also Read: AUS vs IND 2024: Team bus leaves without Yashasvi Jaiswal as he comes late

"The stump line has been troubling him a lot. He has been getting out bowled and LBW, which is a bit of concern for him. That's the line he will have to work on in the nets, because in the balls outside off stump, he is looking more comfortable. I think he should continue to bat at No.6. We are looking at India's future, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. They batted really well in the 1st Test match, Shubman also is likely to bat at No.3. We should think about the long term and that's why I think that Rohit should continue to bat at No.6," he further added.