Published: Aug 22, 2015, 08:30 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 21, 2015, 08:32 PM (IST)
After Murali Vijay fell cheaply on the first day of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka at the P Sara Oval in Colombo, the Indian cricket fans waited anxiously for Rohit Sharma to emerge from the pavilion and prove how good he can be at No. 3. But to the surprise of many, Ajinkya Rahane, who has so far played way down in the batting order, came out ahead of Rohit. Rahane’s promotion over Rohit came out of the blue and his early dismissal put India in further trouble. Devarchit Varma talks about the burning topic of the No. 3 slot in the Indian Test side, and explains why Virat Kohli needs to be patient with his policies. Live cricket score India vs Sri Lanka 2015, 2nd Test at Colombo, Day 2
Rohit Sharma was persisted with at No. 3 spot of Cheteshwar Pujara in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, for Kohli backed Rohit to help India score more big and quick. While Indian cricket management was spot on in their judgement that someone like Rohit would be a better option than Pujara as they look to become aggressive in Test cricket, they erred by not backing it up. ALSO READ: Have India finally settled on the perfect Test combination?
The promotion of Ajinkya Rahane at No. 3 in India’s first innings in the second Test at P Sara was grossly wrong on many counts: first, Rahane was never in contention for No. 3 slot; next, Rahane has done a fantastic job at No. 5; and finally, India need stability in the lower-order and at present, there is almost no one better equipped than Rahane to bat along with the tail. ALSO READ: Virat Kohli-KL Rahul, and other high 3rd-wicket partnerships after losing first two wickets below 15
Pujara usually looks comfortable in the subcontinent conditions; it often seems he is the right man for the job. But the current think-tank does not seem to consider him as a viable option. The lack of runs has also not done any good to Rajkot’s favourite son.
It is never a wrong decision to play a batsman who is promising runs ahead of another out of form, but long-term plans cannot be ignored to meet short-term goals. Both Pujara and Rohit have been found wanting overseas across formats. Kohli decided to stick to Rohit though the latter flopped in Bangladesh and in both outings at Galle in familiar conditions, which worsened his case.
Rohit has never enjoyed batting in Sri Lanka. The team management were perfectly aware of that before giving him another chance. If the management wanted to gamble with him, it would have made sense had they sent him in and not Rahane.
Instead of gambling with options who are not meant for the job — which is to provide solidity at No. 3 — Indian cricket will be served well if they show confidence in decisions they take. If Rohit is preferred to Pujara at No. 3, why not use him at No. 3?
If Kohli indeed thinks Rohit is the man for the job, he needs to be patient with his plans and policies. Anyone else apart from Pujara or Rohit at No. 3 will be grossly unfair and preposterous.
(Devarchit Varma is a reporter with CricketCountry. He can be followed on Twitter @Devarchit)
