Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma at pre-match press conference© X (formerly Twitter)
Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma is well known for his witty quips during press conference and ahead of the second Test match against South Africa, he came up with another gem of a comment with regards to batting positions. During the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Rohit was asked about Shubman Gill batting at No. 3 instead of his preferred opening position. Rohit was quick to state that he believes that it is an individual decision on how batters decide to look at certain positions in the batting order and even quipped that since he started opening, the other positions seem wrong to him.
“It is an individual thing as to how you think about certain batting positions. I personally hated batting at No. 3. That is my opinion on that. Either you open the batting or you wait and go a little down the order – No. 5 or 6. But since I have started opening the batting, from No. 3 onwards to No. 7, I do not think it is the right position for anyone,” Rohit said leaving the attending reporters in splits.
Rohit further explained that in certain situations if the opener loses their wicket early or gets injured, the No. 3 batter has to come out early and almost play the same role as that of the opening batter.
“Sometimes when the opener gets injured in the first innings, the No. 3 has to walk out and open the batting. So, I do not see much difference there,” he said in the press conference.
On the other hand, Dean Elgar will bid to bring the curtain down on his Test career by skippering South Africa to victory in the second and final Test.
The tourists hopes of achieving their first ever series success in South Africa were comprehensively dashed as they lost the first Test by an innings-and-32 runs last Thursday.
South Africa will be revved up to give Elgar a victorious farewell.
The 36-year-old will captain the side — standing in for the injured Temba Bavuma — and is in fine fettle having scored a majestic 185 in the first Test.
(With AFP inputs)
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