cnerd123
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Literally score two 60-ball 100s in ODIs like a month ago. If anything that's been his strongest format based on recent form.
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2nd Test at the MCG, Melbourne, 26 Dec - 30 Dec 2020
- Thread starter Spark
- Start date
Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
Reminded me of NZ in Australia 12 months ago and then India in NZ 2 months later. It happens to everyone (although doing it at home is worse).
36 all out wasn't flash either.
Daemon
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there’s a series on the line, can’t afford to be so inflexible
cnerd123
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not even the worst batting performance of this series lol
Senile Sentry
International Debutant
I meant if playing multiple formats screws up his mind, then he should give up those.
Of course I dont agree with that assertion. Just need to credit Indian test bowlers to have worked Smith out thus far. Its the much simpler explanation
OverratedSanity
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Cowardly thinking imo. Be ruthless and make the obvious changes.
Daemon
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Neither are going good though are they. Puji had a good knock in the first dig last game but then again he was practically opening anyways.
Senile Sentry
International Debutant
No way. Rohit cannot be babysat and cuddled to bat at 6. If he is replacing Mayank he has to open.
cnerd123
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fair point, but knee-jerk selections don't help either, and there is something to be said about maintaining the same XI when confidence is high.
If we do drop players, I'd swap Agarwal for Rohit and Vihari for Lokesh. Happy with either Saini or Nattu playing as 3rd seamer, both have their benefits and draw backs.
Daemon
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Why not? If he can score runs at 5 he should absolutely be ‘babysat and cuddled’ because no one else is doing it anyways.
Senile Sentry
International Debutant
Lol. 
Senile Sentry
International Debutant
He has made runs even better as opener.
cnerd123
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Bring Rohit in for Vihari at 5 is fine. Forcing either Vihari or Lokesh to open in these conditions in order to accommodate Rohit at 5 is just garbage IMO. Forcing the newer younger players to do the hard yards while letting Rohit fill his boots against weaker attacks at home as opener is a terrible way to run a team.
Daemon
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I can wager he won’t the way these guys have been bowling.
In fact Gill aside I don’t rate anyone’s chances of runs against this lot opening. So if you don’t have runs you at least bat time, which imo Rohit and Rahul will be incapable of doing.
Arachnodouche
International Captain
But things are not going well with the openers, are they? Think Agarwal has played all of one shot of any authority over four innings, an on-drive off Starc in the first Test. He's been consistently hurried for time otherwise. It's fast approaching the situation with Shaw i.e you'd probably be doing him a favor benching him.
Daemon
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Not if it works. Our immediate goal is the next match, not some hypothetical series in the future.
Forcing someone who’s gonna get chewed up to open is a terrible way to run a team.
anil1405
International Captain
Makes sense but I see him as a long term option for the opening slot and he should be given chances to learn. Gill has instilled some confidence and hopefully it will rub off on Mayank too.
Having said that, if the management decides Rohit will be opening then Mayank would be the obvious choice to be dropped.
cnerd123
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But that's what you'd literally be doing by putting Vihari or Lokesh to open. And not only that, you'd be jeapordising the career of two talented youngsters all to potentially maximise the output from a 33 year old proven Test Match Middle Order failure. Rohit has had his chance to bat 5/6 in Tests and failed. His recent runs have come as an opener. He only got selected in the Test squad again as an opener. You have two younger prospects who have not yet had the same number of opportunities as Rohit got who could play in the safer middle order position. Why **** them over in the hope that Rohit has turned the corner?
If Rohit plays, he should open. Otherwise he doesn't play.
Senile Sentry
International Debutant
If that is the case then he can't be played at all.
Vihary deserves support and extended run at 5 or 6. He can't be used to placate Sharna s ego or failings.