IND vs SA: "Shubman Gill Prefers Batting At Three" -Rohit Sharma Explains Why Indian Bating Star Doesn't Open In Test Cricket

Rohit Sharma the Indian skipper has broken his silence on the move behind Shubman Gill batting at number three in Test cricket. Gill primarily opens in ODI and T20I cricket but has been batting at three since the arrival of Yashasvi Jaiswal into the side

The pair of Jaiswal and Rohit has helped the team management to maintain the right-left combination as well. However, Gill’s batting at number three has worked against him. He has not scored a fifty-plus score in his last nine Test innings with his highest score being 29 in this period.

Speaking about Gill batting at number three in the Test, Rohit Sharma said Shubman Gill has the batting smarts to regain his form at number three in Test cricket. He has only 73 runs in five innings at the position at a dismal average of 18.25, with a highest score of only 29*.

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Shubman Gill Understands His Batting Really Well: Rohit Sharma

“Gill is smart and understands his batting pretty well,” Rohit said. “He prefers that number. He has batted in the Ranji Trophy at that number around that position. He has opened in Test and limited overs game but the number 3 was his preference. He feels he can do well for us batting at that position. It is an individual things about how you think about certain positions” Rohit said on Gill.

Rohit also shared his personal opinion on opening the batting and batting at number three saying that a number three batter often needs to walk out to the crease in case a wicket falls. early.

“There is not much difference (on opening to batting at number 3),” he added. “It takes just 1 ball for a number 3 to go in. And sometimes when an opener gets injured, a number 3 has to walk out and open the innings. I don’t see much difference there” Rohit added further.

Despite saying that there is not much difference between opening the batting and batting at three Rhit said that he hated at batting at number three personally.

“I hated batting at number 3 and that is 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 3 onwards till number 7 I don’t think it is the right position for anyone,” Rohit said.

The entire Indian batting lineup needs to come up with a better show with the bat in the second test against South Africa. The Men in Blue were bowled out for 245 and 131 in the two innings of the first Test which finished well inside three days. The loss has pushed India to the sixth position in the points table below Pakistan with a PCT point of 38.89.

The team was also docked two WTC points and fined as well for maintaining a slow over-rate in the Test match. A loss in the second Test will mean another Test series loss in South African soil for Team India. They lost 2-1 in 2021.

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