We Should Let Rohit Enjoy his Batting at Top: Virat Kohli

Pune: India captain Virat Kohli feels it’s time to let Rohit Sharma enjoy his batting at the top of the order and if he does that, India will be in winning situations more often than not in Test cricket.

“If a guy like him at the top of the order plays the way he does, we are going to be in situations to go for victory in most of the Test matches. So we are all very happy for him. It’s time to let Rohit Sharma enjoy his batting in red-ball cricket,” Kohli said on the eve of the second Test against South Africa at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium on Wednesday.

Rohit marked his foray in Test match opening with twin hundreds in the first Test against the Proteas, shattering many records as India registered a comprehensive 203-run victory in Visakhapatnam.

Following his stellar opening debut, he also jumped a whopping 36 places to achieve his career-best ranking of 17 in the ICC Rankings. Kohli also weighed in on the Championship points system and said that away victories were more hard to come by and, hence, should be given more recognition.

“If you’d have asked me to make the points table, I’d have asked for double the points for an away Test win,” he said. Kohli also spoke on why chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav has not been picked in the playing XI despite scalping five wickets in the last Test that he played (against Australia at Sydney).

“No one is self-centered and everyone is thinking about what he can do for the team. It’s the same about Kuldeep. He understands that in India, (Ravichandran) Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja will be our first choices because they give us so much more with the bat as well. Heaping praise on Mohammed Shami who took five wickets in the second innings of the first Test, Kohli said: “I think on the pitches we play, I don’t see anyone with so much seam movement apart from him (Shami).

“He is someone who can totally change the complexion of the match when you don’t see it coming. His skill is obviously there for everyone to see. Especially, in the second innings, when the situations are difficult, he comes in and does the job every time. It’s great,” said Kohli. (IANS)

Also Read: Virat Kohli Lot Like Ganguly and Bold in Decisions: Zaheer Khan

Also Watch:Watch | Ambulance Driver-turned- Artist from Guwahati