Australia vs India, 2018-19: Kapil Dev backs Rohit Sharma to cement Test spot

What's the story?

India's limited-overs powerhouse, Rohit Sharma might not have contributed much in the whites but his well-composed knock at Melbourne Cricket Ground could well revive his Test career. It seems to be a bit too early to say so but the former Indian skipper Kapil Dev believes that the right-handed batsman has got everything in him to excel in the red-ball cricket.

While praising him for his unbeaten 63 runs in the ongoing third Test between Australia and India, the legend termed Rohit an 'effortless' stroke-maker.

“Rohit is really a treat to watch when he is batting. He bats effortlessly and I hope he continues to plunder runs in Test cricket like he does in ODI,” Kapil told TOI.

The background

The flamboyant Mumbai based batsman owns a record three double tons in ODI cricket and four T20I hundreds but he hasn't shared much success in the longer version of the game.

293 ODIs and 90 T20Is while as mere 26 Test matches: this surely reveals that Rohit has played pretty less Test cricket as compared to other two formats. Earlier this year, after a miserable tour to South Africa, he failed to find a place in India's squad for lone Afghanistan Test as well as in the following England and West Indies series.

However, the aggressive batsman was recalled to the team for the four-match Test series against Australia, which even led to some criticism from fans and cricket pundits. It all doubled when he lost his cool in the Adelaide Test, scoring 37 and 1 in the two innings. Though, Sharma made sure to prove the critics wrong in the all-important third Test.

The heart of the matter

The 31-year-old looked calm and composed as he scored an unbeaten knock of 63 runs, helping visitors post a mammoth total of 443 runs in the first innings. Owing to which, former cricketers have started thinking that the top order batsman might turn the fortunes for team India in the Test cricket as well.

Illustrating the Rohit's knock at MCG, Kapil Dev further said he looks 'lethal' with the bat,

“Of all the batsmen, I think he seems to have the maximum time while facing Australian fast bowlers. He also plays it late, which makes his batting style quite lethal,” India's World Cup-winning captain said.

Another legendary cricketer, Dilip Vengsarkar also appreciated the experienced campaigner for his innings,

“This knock could be the revival of Rohit in Test cricket. I have always backed him to do well in Test cricket. I am sure he will make most of it in the days to come,” Vengsarkar said.

What's next?

Despite the collapse in the second innings, India looks in control of getting the 2-1 lead in series. They are leading by 346 runs with another five wickets in hand. It would be interesting to see how they come up tomorrow.