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Aakash Chopra has offered an explanation for how India's white-ball vice-captain Rohit Sharma cracked the opening code in Test matches.
The cricketer-turned-commentator feels Rohit Sharma has made subtle changes to his technique, including improving his front-foot stride and firming his hands closer to the body. The changes have allowed him to be more circumspect and suited to the longest format. Chopra wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.:
"Since he (Rohit Sharma) started opening in Tests, there has been a change in his batting. The front-foot stride has become a little longer and the hands are staying closer to the body. Though he didn't get a big score in the World Test Championship final, he made a sincere effort to modify his game to suit the conditions in both innings. Even while the front-foot stride was significantly longer, he didn't look to play through the line or on the up. He defended patiently off the front foot, waiting for the ball to be really full or short, and then he cashed in."
The former Indian opener added:
"The WTC final wasn't an isolated incident illustrating the difference in Sharma's approach in Tests. His century in Chennai and half-century in Ahmedabad, against England earlier this year, and his double-century in Ranchi against South Africa in October 2019 showed those patterns."
Rohit Sharma, one of India's most prolific run-scorers in white-ball cricket, found it difficult to replicate his success in Tests in the first half of his career.
He made his Test debut in 2013 as a middle-order batsman and initiated his account with back-to-back to back hundreds. But limited opportunities, coupled with his meteoric rise in shorter formats, pushed his Test career on the back burner.
All that changed in the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) where he was thrust into the top order against South Africa. Rohit Sharma scored three centuries in that series, including a double-ton, and has yet to look back since. Overall, he has now scored 1094 runs as an opener from 19 innings at an average of just under 61.
Runs in England will end the debate on Rohit Sharma's efficiency as a Test opener: Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra feels the upcoming five-Test series against England will be Rohit Sharma's litmus test. While Chopra believes we might still see some "loose shots" from the Mumbaikar, he exuded confidence that Rohit would give his best shot at ending the overseas-opening debate once and for all. The former Indian batsman wrote:
"Test cricket follows a different pattern and it looks like Sharma is willing to change tack to suit its demands. Will he never play a loose shot again? He probably will, but when he does, nobody will be passing a verdict on his Test career in a rush. And that will help. Only time will tell whether he will score runs in England and end the debate about his efficiency as a Test opener overseas, but going by the evidence of his recent outings, it's fair to assume he'll give it a good shot."
The first India-England Test will begin on August 4 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
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