Let KL Rahul continue opening, Rohit Sharma can bat in middle order: Ex-India pacer

AUS vs IND: Dodda Ganesh said that India should not disturb their opening combination of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal when Rohit Sharma returns to play in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

In Short

• Rohit Sharma did not play the Perth Test
• KL Rahul opened the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal in Perth
• Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a half-century in the second Test

Former Indian fast bowler Dodda Ganesh said India should retain the opening pair of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal even after Rohit Sharma returns to the playing XI. Rohit missed the opening Test at the Perth Stadium as he was on paternity break after becoming a father for the second time on November 15.

As per reports floating in the media, Rohit is set to join the Indian squad on November 24. Hence, it goes without saying that 37-year-old Rohit would come straight into the playing XI. In Perth, it was Rahul who opened the batting with Jaiswal in Rohit’s absence.

Ganesh, who played four Tests for India in 1997, said that Rohit should bat in the middle order, not disturbing the opening partnership of Rahul and Jaiswal.

“This opening partnership has to stay and Rohit will have to bat in the middle order. Hopefully, common sense prevails,” Ganesh wrote on ‘X’.

Rahul, Jaiswal shine in Perth

Rahul and Jaiswal faltered in the first innings of the Perth Test after Mitchell Starc accounted for their wickets early. But the duo came out firing on all cylinders in the second innings. They became the first Indian pair to put up a partnership of 100 in a Test at the Optus Stadium.

The earlier record was held by Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane’s 91-run stand for the fourth wicket back in December 2018. Jaiswal got out to a stupendous ball from Starc and failed to open his account in the first innings. But the left-handed batter made amends in the second.

Jaiswal scored a half-century off 123 and also built a handy stand. Jaiswal also broke Gautam Gambhir’s record for most runs by an Indian left-handed batter in a calendar year.