It is a fantastic opportunity for Rohit Sharma to announce himself as a Test opening batsman: Gautam Gambhir

Its been the talk of the town. It is almost like the new fascination of Indian cricket. Debates are being conducted, fans and detractors are involved on Twitter warfare, editorials for/against are being churned out. Fans, pundits, detractors, fanatics, trolls, everyone is buzzing with the same question: Will Rohit Sharma successfully make a transition from the middle-order to the opening slot?

The latest to join the bandwagon is former Indian opener and the orchester-in-chief of three of India’s finest achievements on the cricket field: 2007 World T20, 2009 No.1 Test ranking, 2011 World Cup win, Gautam Gambhir.

In a column written by Gambhir for the Times of India, the opener said that he is not too bothered by Sharma’s failure in the practice game against the Proteas. Questions began to galore by the detractors when Rohit was out for a second-ball-duck when he nicked one straight to Klaasen off Philander.

However, Gambhir was not too fussed about Rohit’s failure and reckoned it is a fantastic opportunity for Sharma to announce himself as a Test opening batsman. “It is a fantastic opportunity for Rohit Sharma to announce himself as a Test opening batsman. I am not looking too deep into his two-ball duck in the practice game,” he wrote.

Disastrous to shuffle Rohit too much

However, Gambhir warned the team-management that it will be catastrophic and “disastrous” to shuffle Rohit too much.

“Besides, it will be disastrous to shuffle around Rohit if he doesn’t succeed in this series. We should remember that he is a makeshift opening batsman. His success as an opening batsman in white-ball cricket can’t guarantee equally good returns in Test matches,” he said. Gambhir also cautioned that India should not let self-doubt creep in Rohit’s mind before he goes out to open.