Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh believes Rohit Sharma should maintain his position at No. 6 for the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at The Gabba in Brisbane. Rohit, who missed the series opener in Perth due to the birth of his second child, struggled in the second Test at Adelaide, scoring just 3 and 6. His form in Test cricket has been under scrutiny, especially after India’s 0-3 series loss to New Zealand at home last month.
During that series, Rohit Sharma managed only 91 runs in six innings, with a solitary half-century in Bengaluru. Harbhajan feels that altering Rohit’s batting position during this rough patch might not be wise.
“I don’t think there will be any change in the batting order. There were suggestions, even from Sunil Gavaskar, that Rohit should move up the order, but given his current form, it doesn’t seem logical. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal should continue opening, while Rohit can stabilize the middle order,” Harbhajan Singh shared on Star Sports.
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Harbhajan also advocated for changes in India’s bowling lineup ahead of the Brisbane Test. He highlighted Washington Sundar’s potential return in place of Ravichandran Ashwin. Sundar impressed during the Perth Test with his all-round performance, including two key wickets.
“Ashwin didn’t have much impact in Adelaide, and Sundar’s ability to contribute with the bat and ball makes him a strong candidate for The Gabba,” Harbhajan Singh said.
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In the pace department, Harbhajan recommended Prasidh Krishna as a replacement for Harshit Rana, who struggled in Adelaide. “Prasidh’s height and his knack for extracting bounce could be crucial on the bouncy Brisbane wicket. His attributes make him an ideal choice to bolster India’s attack,” he added.
With the series tied at 1-1, India will look to address these areas to secure an advantage in the penultimate Test starting December 14.
