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Cricket Players'They have been our best option but we never trusted them': Ex-India player wants longer rope for Rohit-Rahul pair
Rahul and Rohit stitched their 12th half-century stand for India en route to the team's five-wicket win in the T20I series opener against New Zealand in Jaipur.
Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja feels that the present Indian T20I opening pair of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma have been the team's best opening option for years, but the management never trusted them as a pair for the role. Jadeja on Wednesday called for a longer rope for the opening pair after Rahul and Rohit stitched their 12th half-century stand for India en route to the team's five-wicket win in the T20I series opener against New Zealand in Jaipur.
Talking to Cricbuzz about the pair, who have now scored 1418 runs for India in 26 opening partnerships which is the fourth-highest by a pair for any wicket and second for the country, Jadeja opined that Rohit and Rahul have been India's best options at the top of the order over the last five years, but they were never trusted with the responsibility. He also wants the new management to not just continue with the pair in bilateral series only, but also for big tournaments, referring to the India's decision to open with Ishan Kishan and Rahul in the game against New Zealand where Rohit was asked to bat at No.3.
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"Rohit Sharma has been around for long. We have seen him do this for years. He is a fabulous player, Nothing new from him or KL Rahul. You expect that to happen. It was pleasure watching them. They have had a good run. Rohit and Rahul are your best option. If you want solidity, over the years you have seen that. It's just that do you want to play the way Indian cricket, now that we have had a chapter change, because of the guys that are coming behind, they are playing a different brand of cricket. If you want to play the old brand, these two are the best options, and not just today, in the last 4-5 years. It's just that we have not trusted them. It's just that we have not trusted them," he said.
"Even with this pair, over the last 4-5 years, it's been Rahul and Rohit, but also had Shikhar (Dhawan) in the middle, then Rohit wanting to play, then dropping Rahul and then again gone back to them. But this is your best pair, and you have to trust them. You cannot go with them throughout the bilateral and when the important games come you say - 'no, no, what if he gets out'."
Rohit scored 48 off 36 against New Zealand while Rahul scored 15 off 14 to help India get off to a steady start in the chase of 165 before Suryakumar Yadav's 40-ball 62 helped the team complete the chase with two balls to spare.
India will play the second game against New Zealand on Friday in Ranchi.
