Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma’s recent struggles have raised concerns among cricket pundits. Despite his impressive record in limited-overs cricket, Rohit’s Test batting has been underwhelming, particularly in the recently concluded series against New Zealand.
In the three-match series, Rohit managed only 91 runs across six innings, with three dismissals coming from fast bowlers on spin-friendly tracks. Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has attributed Rohit’s poor form to his batting position and has suggested a change in order.
Kaneria believes that Rohit should move down to the number three position, allowing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill to open the batting. He argues that Rohit has struggled against the moving ball in India and that the conditions in Australia, where India will tour later this year, will be even more challenging.
“Just see if Rohit Sharma is still comfortable opening or if he should come in one-down and change his order a little bit because he has been struggling with the track in India,” Kaneria said. “The Indian top order should be Jaiswal and Shubman as openers, Rohit coming one-down, and Virat two-down.”
Kaneria’s suggestion aligns with the growing consensus that Rohit’s batting style is better suited to the middle order. As an opener, he faces the new ball and is more vulnerable to swing and seam bowling. By moving down the order, he would have the opportunity to settle in and play his shots more freely.
Rohit’s captaincy has also come under scrutiny following India’s 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand. This is the first time India has been clean swept in a Test series of three or more matches at home. Kaneria believes that head coach Gautam Gambhir needs to manage the team’s batting lineup more effectively, particularly in the absence of injured all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
“Gambhir needs to manage the long Indian batting line-up, as Ashwin and Jadeja are there, so they have a deep batting line-up,” Kaneria said.
Whether Rohit and Gambhir heed Kaneria’s advice remains to be seen. However, it is clear that Rohit’s Test form and captaincy are in need of improvement if India is to regain its status as a dominant force in the longest format of the game.
