MSK Prasad Backs Rohit As Opener, Wanted To Give Him A Chance At The Top

Rohit has been designated as the new opener for India in Tests and chief Selector MSK Prasad backed him to come good at the top of the order

Dropping KL Rahul from the upcoming Test series against South Africa was a massive step taken by the committee of selectors. His dipping form opened the door for Rohit Sharma who didn’t play a game in whites against the West Indies. Rohit has been designated as the new opener for India in Tests and chief Selector MSK Prasad backed him to come good at the top of the order. “Yes, we are definitely looking at him (Rohit) and want to give him an opportunity up the order. He is keen (on opening) and the selection committee, as well as everyone (team management), is keen on the idea. We want to see where he stands and then take a call,” Prasad said after the selection committee meeting. At the same time, Rookie Punjab batsman Shubman Gill was handed a maiden Test call-up and the youngster can also bat in the middle order. “With regard to Shubman Gill, we look at him as an opener as well as a middle-order batsman. We are looking at him as back-up for both the slots. As he keeps playing more and more, he will get his opportunity because he is a player for all three formats,” he said. For Rahul, who has scored only one Test hundred in over 18 months, Prasad said that the Karnataka batsman got a fair run but a dip in form forced the panel to go for a change. “We definitely communicated to KL (Rahul). He is an exceptional talent but unfortunately his form has dipped in red-ball cricket,” Prasad said. “With Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay gone, we can't keep changing both the openers in the side. Someone had to stick around. And among the exiting seniors, KL probably got more opportunities. Unfortunately, he was not delivering consistently. He delivered in patches and that's why we backed him because when he is on the song, he is treated to watch,” Prasad said. All-rounder Hardik Pandya was not included in the squad and Prasad said the all-rounder might not fit in in home conditions. “Hardik is not on the side because if you look at home conditions, he may not fit in. Also, a lot of white-ball cricket is being played...it's a culmination of both,” he said.