WI v IND | Rohit Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha have to wait for their opportunities, says Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir reckons Rohit Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha will have to wait for their opportunities in the Indian Test side, justifying the management’s selection to pick Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant instead. Gambhir also said that he wasn’t surprised with Ajinkya Rahane’s performance.
Despite being in good nick – Rohit in ODIs and Saha in List-A and first-class level – the former Indian opener believes that Vihari and Pant have done well enough to regain their places in the playing XI. Although Pant failed in either innings at Antigua, Vihari made useful contributions in both innings (32 and 93), narrowly missing out on what would’ve been a well-deserved century in the second.
“He (Rohit) has got to wait for his opportunity. There is Rahane, who has done well now and Vihari too. So he has to wait and when gets that opportunity, he needs to perform,” Gambhir told PTI.
“When someone (Pant) is averaging 48 (45.43 actually) with the bat and scored a hundred each in England and Australia, he deserves to be playing Test cricket. Saha needs to wait for his opportunity as Pant has grabbed his opportunity with both hands,” he continued.
Another player who was under the microscope for selection ahead of the first Test was the team’s vice-captain Rahane. However, he answered his critics with a timely 81 and 102, which was his first hundred in two years as India romped to a 318-run victory.
“I am not at all surprised (with Rahane’s performance) but it was a much-needed performance, both from individual and team’s point of view. And when it comes in a winning cause, it doesn’t get better than that,” Gambhir added.
