Harbhajan Singh's point-blank take on Rohit Sharma's role in 2nd Test vs Australia: '...wouldn't be in best interest'

Rohit Sharma has played 37 Tests as an opener and scored 2685 runs at an average of 44.01 with nine centuries and a top score of 212.

Where India's returning captain Rohit Sharma will bat during the second Test against Australia is among the big questions floating around in the buildup to the match. Former spinner Harbhajan Singh, a longtime teammate of Rohit, has said that the 38-year-old has to bat in the top-four and a move back to the middle order for the pink-ball Test won't be in India's best interest.

Rohit had batted in the middle and lower middle order for a large part of his Test career before 2019. (AFP)

"I don't see Rohit coming in at number five or six. Either Rohit will open with Yashasvi Jaiswal, with KL Rahul coming in at number three, or he will bat no later than number three," Harbhajan told PTI on the sidelines of the inauguration of the World Tennis Cricket League here.

‘Your top four in batting order should be the four pillars’

The question has come up especially because of the fact that Rahul and Jaiswal shared a 201-run opening stand in the second innings of the first Test in Perth. Devdutt Padikkal, who played at No.3 in that match, is widely expected to be dropped for the second Test but Shubman Gill would return in that position. Virat Kohli slots in at No.4 and that leaves out only the opening position for Rohit to fit into, which would mean that Rahul will have to somehow find a place lower down the order.

“Number six for Rohit wouldn't be in best interest of the team. Your top four in batting order should be the four pillars and someone like Rohit at the top would only add greater fillip,” said Harbhajan.

Rohit had batted in the middle and lower middle order for a large part of his Test career before 2019. It was a period in which he struggled to nail down a regular spot in whites for India despite being recognised among the best white-ball batters in the world. He first opened for India in the 2019 home Test series against South Africa and cemented his spot at the top with a bang. Rohit scored 529 runs in four innings with three centuries at an average of 132.25. He has overall played 37 Tests as an opener and scored 2685 runs at an average of 44.01 with nine centuries and a top score of 212.