‘Why did he not come in to bat earlier’- Sunil Gavaskar speaks out on Rohit Sharma coming in late during second ODI

India faced off Bangladesh in the second ODI on December 7, Wednesday and it was the latter who came out on top post winning the match by just 5 runs. Eventually, the Bangla Tigers won the series, with one match remaining in the series, which will be played on Saturday. 

As things stand, India’s captain Rohit Sharma, walked off the field in the first innings, when Bangladesh batted. While the Litton Das-led team managed to put on 271 runs in the first innings, the Men in Blue, after fighting hard, were staring at a possible defeat. Rohit managed to step onto the crease with an injured thumb and played a stupendous innings. 

For the unversed, coming in at Number 9, the skipper scored an unbeaten 51 and inched India closer to the target. However, despite his greathearted innings, the Men in Blue lost the match by 5 runs and went on to lose the series as well. Commenting on the same, Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian cricketer, questioned Rohit’s batting position and claimed that the right-handed batter must have stepped onto the crease much earlier, given that he was able to bat, although not fully fit. 

Everybody knows the quality and class of the man: Sunil Gavaskar

Not shying away from lauding the veteran batter, Gavaskar said that Rohit was able to almost win the game for India coming in at Number 9. However, Gavaskar opined that he would have won the game had he come in at Number 7, given that India required 12 runs off the last 2 balls. 

“Everybody knows the quality and class of the man. And the thing now, when India came so close, is why did he not come in to bat earlier. If he was going to bat at No. 9, then he should have batted at No. 7,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying to Sony Sports Network. 

“What that could have done is, I think, Axar Patel would have played differently. Axar thought that maybe Rohit Sharma won’t bat, and therefore he played that shot. At that stage, there was no need to play that shot. Axar was batting so well, he was picking the ball well, and had he continued, you never know, the outcome could have been different. At No. 9, he almost got India to a memorable win so had he come to bat at 7, India would have had a much better chance,” said the former Indian cricketer further.