IND vs AUS 2023: Rohit Sharma’s promotion as opener saved his Test career, says Ian Chappell

Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell believes Rohit Sharma’s promotion as opener saved his Test career. Rohit has been doing a fine job as a Test opener and he has grabbed his chance at the top of the order.

The right-hander had proved his mettle in white-ball formats as an opener but he could not deliver for the team while batting in the middle order in Test matches. Rohit started opening in Test matches in 2019 and he has scored 1672 runs in 19 matches as an opener at an impressive average of 57.65.

The right-hander did well while opening in the home conditions but he was able to prove his mettle in the foreign conditions when he scored 368 runs in four Test matches against England in 2021.

Furthermore, Rohit scored a match-winning knock of 120 runs in the first innings of the opening Test match against Australia at the VCA Stadium, Nagpur, which India went on to win by a massive margin of an innings and 132 runs.

“The move to open in Test cricket saved Rohit’s career. He looked like he might waste his enormous skill down the order but batting above Virat Kohli has prevented him from being overawed by the ex-captain’s popularity. Captaincy has also played a big part in Rohit’s revival; the discipline required to lead a team has added another level to his batting,” wrote Chappell.

Chappelli, as he is famously known, showered praise on Rohit for showing the discipline to play a masterful knock on a turning pitch.

“The state of the pitch was put into perspective by the Indian captain Rohit Sharma. He played a masterful innings that displayed confidence in his own defence, his wide stroke range on a turning – but not impossible pitch – and his ironclad discipline,” Chappell added.

The renowned commentator added Rohit showed all the batters how they should bat on a difficult pitch.

“Not only did Rohit reveal a wide range of shots, he also frustrated the Australian bowlers with the way he only play them when the time was right. He showed all players, home and touring, how to play on Indian pitches, and his example was flawlessly followed by the much improved Ravindra Jadeja,” wrote Chappell.

The second Test match will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi from Friday onwards.