Rohit Sharma And KL Rahul Face-Off For The Opener's Role As Clouds Of Crisis Hover Around Team India

Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024: The Indian team is currently in a transitional phase, well that's only how one can sugar-coat the fact that the team is in crisis. The IND vs AUS Test series is a testament to the fact that the senior players of the team are fading away gradually. They've had their time on the cricket field and the 22 yards, but maybe, it is time for them to take a step back and let the next generation take over.

The Rohit-Rahul Dilemma

One of the biggest talking points of India's emphatic victory in Perth was how KL Rahul batted at the top of the order. Predominantly playing the role of a middle order batsman in the last couple of years, Rahul was given a chance to open in Australia after skipper Sharma missed the first Test of the series due to the birth of his second child. Rahul came to his own and flourished in the Perth Test and scored a gritty 77 off 176 balls in the second innings.

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Rahul did look solid in the first innings too, but he was sent off to the dressing room courtesy of a bad decision that was given when he was batting on 26 off 74 deliveries. Rahul's gritty performances forced Rohit Sharma to bat in the middle and think about the best interest of the team. Upon his return, Rohit has played three innings, two in Adelaide and three in Brisbane and has ended with scores of 3, 6 and 10 runs. After India lost in Adelaide, there were talks of Rohit returning as an opener, but he chose to play in the middle.

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KL Rahul stepped up once again and rescued Team India from following on as he played an impressive innings of 84 off 139 deliveries. There are already talks about Rohit Sharma's form and his future in Test match cricket. Now the biggest concern for Gautam Gambhir and the team management will be to reflect and end the dilemma around the opener's slot for future series and tours.

Rohit-Kohli Slowly Fading Away

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It is almost a perfect storm of media scrutiny for both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the two Indian stalwarts who have been doing the national duty for many years now and have made India proud on many occasions. Virat Kohli scored a stellar hundred in Perth, but since then, his performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy have only gone downhill. But more than Virat, his compatriot Rohit Sharma's form has been even more concerning. The Indian skipper completely looks off colour and now his intent of playing the game is being questioned.