Published By: Rohit Chatterjee

BGT 2024/25: Rohit Sharma’s Numbers at No. 6 Will Leave You Surprised

After missing the first Test, skipper Sharma is set to lead India in the second Test

India's skipper Rohit Sharma rejoined the Test squad in Australia after missing the first game in Perth due to the birth of his second child. However, India had no trouble dealing with the Australians on foreign soil as India recorded a historic win by 295 runs.

Young Yashasvi Jaiswal's 100, Kohli's Test 30th century, and Jasprit Bumrah's eight wickets were the biggest highlights of the first game. However, another man gained limelight for his stable batting as an opener in the absence of Rohit Sharma—KL Rahul.

Rahul has been going through a lean phase and was looking to find redemption. His first innings resulted in a controversial dismissal, but in the second innings, he, along with Jaiswal, stitched a 201-run partnership.

Therefore, a major question now looms large: who should open? KL Rahul or Rohit Sharma?

Well, we certainly have our opinion on who should open it, but before discussing that point, let us shed light on a position where Rohit Sharma excelled at the beginning of his Test-playing days. Multiple reports pointed at different positions, such as 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th, but our interest lies in the sixth position.

Playing as no. 6

Rohit Sharma has played 64 times as an opener, the most in his Test-playing career. He has also played in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th positions. However, after playing as an opener, he has played the maximum number of Test matches in the 6th position.

Skipper Sharma has played 25 Test games while batting at number 6, and he has fared well. In 25 matches, Sharma scored 1,037 runs at an average of 54.57, which is higher than his average in the 64 innings. Not to forget, while batting at 6th, he has also hit three centuries.

In Australia

Rohit Sharma's record while batting at 6th on Australian soil isn't poor either. In the eight innings that he has played in Australia at 6th, he scored 197 runs at an average of 28.14. In contrast, while playing as an opener, Sharma appeared in four innings, scoring 129 runs at an average of 32.25.

Rohit's recent form

Rohit's recent form has been one of the worst we have seen in years. In fact, in 2024, Sharma has averaged less than 30 in 21 innings, whereas in the last 10 innings, he averaged 13.30 with merely one half century.

Keep the New Zealand a thing of the past; Sharma could perform well even while batting at No. 4 during the warm-up game against the Australia PM's XI. He lasted 11 balls while scoring only four runs.

Rohit vs. Rahul

Overall, Rohit's performance with the willow is better than Rahul's, as he is ahead in terms of runs, averages, half-centuries, centuries, strike rate, and even fours and sixes.

However, India has always had this habit of weighing a player too much on his past credibility. Given how Jaiswal and Rahul performed in the first game and even during the warm-up game, the duo seems pretty tight, and it makes no sense to disrupt their momentum just to accommodate Sharma at the top.

Therefore, we firmly believe Rohit Sharma should bat at No. 6, irrespective of Shubman Gill's availability or non-availability. Furthermore, in case the top order falters quickly, an experienced Rohit Sharma could play a heroic role from the middle order and save India's day.