“He (KL Rahul) will open the innings. I will play somewhere in the middle… “
Rohit Sharma ended the suspense when he confirmed India’s openers for the Adelaide Test vs Australia from December 6. Rahul did a phenomenal job with the bat in both innings of the Perth Test and continued with his good touch during the practice fixture PM XI in Canberra.
Even after Rahul’s returns with the bat, there was no clarity whether he would continue in the opening position especially after Rohit rejoined the squad after missing the series opener due to the birth of his second child.
India vs Australia: Unleash Rohit Sharma in middle order
The Indian captain, however, chose to stick with the successful combination at top of the order and feels Rahul deserves that spot.
“We want result, we want success. Those two guys at the top they batted brilliantly in Perth. I was watching from home. Rahul was brilliant to watch. He deserves that place at this point in time,” says Rohit.
The skipper further adds that the move to bat down the order will not be an easy one for him but it’s in the larger interest of the team.
“There is no need to change that now, may be things will be different in future. Personally not easy for me (to move down) but for the team it made a lot of sense,” explains Rohit while adding that he will bat somewhere in the middle.
Rahul, who has faced significant criticism recently for underperforming, got an opportunity to open the innings for India in the first Test against Australia, and he did not disappoint the fans as he scored crucial 26 in first innings and gave India a solid start in the second innings to score 77 runs.
The right-handed batter, often considered one of the most technically sound players playing for India, has not had a consistent run with the bat in the longest format. He has been moved up and down the order, across formats, and the lack of consistency in the batting position could well be the reason behind his inconsistent returns.
Despite having played 233 innings for India across all formats, KL Rahul still lacks a fixed batting position. The 32-year-old has already amassed over 8,200 runs, including 17 centuries for India. Among these, he has scored more than 3,000 runs in Tests, including 8 centuries.
Rahul has already scored centuries in SENA countries, demonstrating his ability to perform on tracks with extra bounce and pronounced swing while also excelling against spin in subcontinental conditions. Rahul’s flexibility to bat anywhere often works for the team, but it also leaves him vulnerable to criticism.
Rohit Sharma’s Test career took off after he was given a permanent opening slot, allowing him to operate with the mindset of an opener for a long period. KL Rahul too hasn’t had a bad run at top of the order. In 77 innings as an opener, he has scored 2654 runs with seven centuries and 13 half-centuries, averaging 40, and a highest score of 199.
However, when moved down the order, Rahul’s performance drops. In the 16 innings he has played in other positions, he has managed just 430 runs, including one century. As the team looks to groom younger players, the 32-year-old Rahul still awaits stability in his batting position.
While Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal have established themselves as India’s premier opening pair in Tests, Rahul’s performances as an opener have been noteworthy. During India’s England tour 2021-22, Rahul emerged as India’s third highest run-scorer of the series, behind Rohit and Rishabh Pant.
With form on his side and Rohit’s recent struggles vs pace as he was dismissed by New Zealand pacers four times in six innings during a Test series, Rahul is set to get an extended run at top of the order. It makes sense for now, a lot of sense. But it remains to be seen whether Rahul will find the consistency which everyone expects from him.