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The Rohit Sharma-led side will take on South Africa in the final of the two-match Test series. The second and final Test will be played at the Newlands in Cape Town, starting January 3. However, ahead of the final Test, Rohit Sharma spoke of several things, with one of them being about Indian opener Shubman Gill.
On being asked of why Shubman Gill is not opening alongside Rohit in the longest format of the game in the ongoing South Africa tour, the skipper clarified that it was Gill who himself opted to bat at No. 3. It is to be noted that Gill although started as an opener but was pushed to No. 3 after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s debut during West Indies tour.
“To be honest, there is not much difference (between opening and number 3). It takes just one ball for a number 3 to go in. And sometimes when the opener gets injured in first innings, number 3 has to walk out and open the innings. So I don’t see much difference there. It’s very individual thing,” Rohit Sharma said on the eve of the second Test.
“Gill is smart and understands his batting pretty well. Obliviously, he prefers that number. He has batted in the Ranji Trophy at that number around a fair bit. He has opened in limited overs, Test cricket as well but that was his preference. He feels he can do well for us batting at that position. It is an individual thing as to how you think about certain positions where you bat,” he added.
Moreover Gill hasn’t had much success in Test cricket compared to his performances in ODIs and T20Is.
Sharing his own performance batting at no. 3, Rohit cleared that he hated batting at number 3. “I personally hated batting at number 3. So that’s my opinion. Either you open the batting or you wait a little to go down the order to bat at number 5 or 6. Since I started opening, from no. 3 onwards till number 7, I don’t think it is the right position for anyone,” Rohit further added.
