Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar said that Rohit Sharma will not open for India in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25). Sanjay Manjrekar said that the team management will maintain the initial partnership of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, despite the return of Rohit Sharma.
Rohit missed the opening Test series against Australia due to the birth of his second child. He forced KL Rahul to open the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rohit batted at number 4 in a recent practice match against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI, while Rahul and Jaiswal continued as the opening pair.
For me, it is a clear indication – Sanjay Manjrekar
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Sanjay Manjrekar said that it is clear that Rohit Sharma will not open in the second Test. He said the team will continue the successful opening partnership of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who performed well in the second innings of the first Test.
“Yes, to me it is a clear indication. I thought maybe of some other things why they would do that. But I think this is as clear as possible: just as we were all contemplating and wondering if the very, very successful initial pair that we had in the second innings of the last match needs to be dismantled considering he made such an important contribution. So yes, a very clear indication,” Manjrekar said.
Rohit Sharma batted in the middle order in the warm-up match against Australia’s Premier XI
Rahul and Jaiswal added a modest five-run stand in the first innings. However, they added India’s first 200-run opening partnership in Australia during the second innings. His 201-run stand helped Team India set Australia a challenging target of 534. India secured a dominant 295-run victory.
Rohit Sharma and Jaiswal have been a strong opening pair in recent Tests, but Rahul’s impressive performance at the top has created a dilemma for India ahead of the second Test.
Team management thinking about cricket logic and current form – Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar stated that the team management will use common sense and current form while choosing the starting pair for the upcoming match. Manjrekar added that the team management will stick with the Rahul-Jaiswal pair after their 200-plus partnership in the recent match.
“Imagine the first association of 200+ people for the opening wicket in Australia, and we also saw the result. Therefore, I doubt that the management of this team is thinking about the logic of cricket and the current form. They will use sense common and In today’s reality, Rohit potentially volunteering is the right decision to make the most of what he has earned,” Majrekar said.
Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian team in the second Test match, which will take place at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide starting Friday, December 6. The match will be played with a pink ball in day and night conditions. India leads the five-match Test series 1-0.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma officially demoted in India batting order days before Adelaide Test