Harbhajan Singh has expressed his desire to see Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer regain their form ahead of the third Test against England in Rajkot. Harbhajan Singh noted their lack of significant contributions in the ongoing series, with neither player managing to score a half-century so far.
In the current series against England, Shreyas Iyer has scored a total of 104 runs across four innings, while Rohit Sharma has managed 90 runs. This follows their underwhelming performances in the preceding two-match Test series in South Africa, where Iyer scored 41 runs and Rohit managed 60 runs across both games.
Hopefully, Rohit Sharma will score runs- Harbhajan Singh
The former cricketer, now commentator, highlighted the importance of both batters, particularly in the absence of Virat Kohli, whose participation in the remaining Tests remains uncertain.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Harbhajan said,
“Hopefully, Rohit Sharma will score runs. He hasn’t scored runs. Rajkot is a batting paradise in India. So, I hope that there won’t be amendments to the pitch. I hope Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer score because Virat Kohli may or may not play. Cricket never waits for anyone. If Virat was available or not, we would have still won. Hopefully, he might return,”
Harbhajan Singh expressed admiration for Yashasvi Jaiswal’s remarkable double century and Shubman Gill’s well-timed century, especially considering Gill’s recent struggles with form, having failed to perform in his last 11 innings.
“There are a lot of positives. Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored a double-century. Very important for a youngster. When you score runs, you gain confidence. Shubman Gill has also come back to form. He also scored a century. Talking of Shreyas Iyer, hopefully, he might also return to form provided that the wicket is good,”
I think Rajat Patidar will get one more chance– Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh advocated for Rajat Patidar’s inclusion over Sarfaraz Khan in the upcoming third Test against England, citing Patidar’s performance of 32 and 9 runs in his debut innings in Vizag.
The former off-spinner said,
“I think Patidar will get one more chance. I don’t think Sarfaraz will play the next match as well. This is a young team and the combo looks set. Sarfaraz will have to wait for a game,”
Sarfaraz Khan’s selection in India’s squad for the third Test against England came alongside Washington Sundar and Saurabh Kumar due to injuries sidelining Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul. Khan, known for his prolific performances in first-class cricket, boasts an impressive record with 3912 runs in 66 innings at an average of 69.85, featuring 14 centuries and 11 half-centuries.