Team India’s limited-overs star batsman Rohit Sharma, who has been in the stupendous form of late, is a part of the Test squad touring the West Indies. He was not included in the playing XI for the first Test. And with Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari performing brilliantly with the bat in the series opener, there seems to be no chance of him featuring in the second and final Test.
Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir said that patience is the need of the hour for Rohit.
“He (Rohit) has got to wait for his opportunity. There is Rahane, who has done well now and Vihari too. So he has to wait and when he gets that opportunity, he needs to perform,” Gambhir told PTI.
Rahane made 81 and 102, his Test ton after two years, while Vihari scored 32 and 93 as India outclassed the hosts by 318 runs.
“I am not at all surprised (with Rahane’s performance) but it was a much-needed performance, both from individual and team’s point of view. And when it comes in a winning cause, it doesn’t get better than that,” said the former left-hander, who played 58 Tests and 147 ODIs for India.
Rishabh Pant is now India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in all the formats, getting the nod ahead of Wriddhiman Saha, who has returned to the squad after a prolonged injury.
Gambhir felt that Saha, who used to be a regular member of the Test team, had to wait for his chance as well. “When someone (Pant) is averaging 48 (45.43 actually) with the bat and scored a hundred each in England and Australia, he deserves to be playing Test cricket. Saha needs to wait for his opportunity as Pant has grabbed his opportunity with both hands,” the cricketer-turned-politician added.
Earlier, former India wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani had expressed his view that Saha should be picked to play instead of Pant.
