Rohit Sharma vs Usman Khawaja - The Better Test Opener ?

[Socerer 01]

For a test that starts tomorrow, Harry Brook is the first name on the sheet but appreciate you might be judging over a longer timeframe

who do you replace him with

 

[Ali TT]

who do you replace him with

Currently? Any one of the "Big 3"

 

[Socerer 01]

Currently? Any one of the "Big 3"

but why, all of them are better players

 

[Shady Slim]

Sharma should have been picked consistently much much much earlier.

I remember watching him score a big 100 for Mumbai in the final of the domestic competition around....2008 probably, and they were already talking about him being ready for his place in the test side.

Love watching Kwaja. Even his forward defence is elegant.

also applies to uzzie as opener tbf

 

[Shady Slim]

also applies to uzzie as opener tbf

like i don't think people really get how much of a juggernaut uzzie the opener actually is lmao

 

[Ali TT]

but why, all of them are better players

On a career basis, yes, although hard to judge Brook fairly in that respect. You said currently though, so I'd have Brook over Root, but Root might also stay in over Smith out Williamson.

 

[Socerer 01]

On a career basis, yes, although hard to judge Brook fairly in that respect. You said currently though, so I'd have Brook over Root, but Root might also stay in over Smith out Williamson.

Williamson is the only one who can play to high standards in 3 there so he stays. Smith at 4 is obvious. that leaves Root or Brook at 5 and Root still should be there over Brook even if Brook has scored 4 centuries in a row, there’s a reason why the quote ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’ exists

 

[Ali TT]

Williamson is the only one who can play to high standards in 3 there so he stays. Smith at 4 is obvious. that leaves Root or Brook at 5 and Root still should be there over Brook even if Brook has scored 4 centuries in a row, there’s a reason why the quote ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’ exists

Yeah but form is current, class is established over time. Current XI, Brook over others for me.

 

[Howe_zat]

I think I'll go with Rohit given the massive gap between him and pretty much every other opener in the matches India have been playing since he's been there.

In matches where Rohit has opened he averages 52 with 6 centuries in 36 innings
All the other openers in the same matches have 8 hundreds between them in 120 innings (and 3 of them are Agarwal in 2019) at an average of 29

To be fair, Khawaja's 180 in this game obviously makes him the exception.

 

[slowfinger]

like i don't think people really get how much of a juggernaut uzzie the opener actually is lmao
View attachment 35044

that is ridiculous!!!

 

[OverratedSanity]

Sharma should have been picked consistently much much much earlier.

If anything, I'd argue he got too many chances before he moved permanently to the opening slot. Established players like Pujara (who was actually great back then) were being dropped or moved all around the order just to somehow fit an underperforming Rohit in.

 

[Brook's side]

If anything, I'd argue he got too many chances before he moved permanently to the opening slot. Established players like Pujara (who was actually great back then) were being dropped or moved all around the order just to somehow fit an underperforming Rohit in.

he averages 53 as an opener and he's had 49 tests shortly before his 36th birthday.

He didn't debut until he was 26 and a half. Then since the end of the 2013/14 season up to the start of 2021, India played 68 Tests, of which Rohit played 26.