IPL 2017: Shane Bond expresses concerns over Rohit Sharma's batting position, shift from IPL to CT

What’s the story?

Mumbai Indians coach and former New Zealand fast bowler, Shane Bond, has expressed concerns over the shift from the middle order to the top of the order for Rohit Sharma when the Indian plays the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Rohit has been batting in the middle order for the Mumbai Indians in order to bring a better balance to the side and has been fairly successful in terms to adapting to the new batting position.

“Rohit Sharma has been batting in the middle-order for us and Aaron Finch for Gujarat Lions, and both of them will need to re-adjust to playing the new ball, in English conditions, when they open the batting for their respective countries,” Bond said.

In case you didn’t know...

The Mumbai Indians have been the most successful team of the IPL so far, having won 10 of their 14 games and finishing at the top of the points table. They play the first qualifier against the second-placed Rising Pune Supergiant, with the winner earning a direct entry to the final of the championship.

Rohit has scored 282 runs this season at 25.63 and a strike rate of 125.33 with 3 fifties. While these numbers don’t make up an extraordinary show with the bat, the 30-year-old’s captaincy has been absolutely top-notch.

Rohit Sharma batted at No. 4 for most games of the IPL this season

Details

Bond also divulged that a lack of bowling workload, given that in the IPL the bowlers are only supposed to bowl 4 overs as opposed to 10 in ODIs, may come back to trouble international cricketers and that adjustment to the conditions in England from the hot and sultry climate in India would be a test.

“Because of the condensed schedules in the IPL, and the heat and the travel, the bowlers haven't been bowling a lot in the nets,” he wrote in his column for the International Cricket Council.

“Going into the ICC Champions Trophy, where the top bowlers will be expected to bowl their quota of 10 overs, will pose a unique kind of challenge in terms of the bowlers not having had enough of a workload.”

The former international mentioned that the shift from the 20-over format to the 50-over format could be a big test for the bowlers and that the players would have to make changes in terms of adjustment and attitude.

“The other, obviously, is time on the feet from an hour-and-a-half to three-and-a-half hours. All the players have been training and are in good shape physically, so this adjustment shouldn't be particularly demanding, but the issue of bowling workloads is another matter altogether,” he said.

“There will be a couple of subtle differences, and I am sure these experienced guys are equipped enough to cope with those requirements.”

Author’s take

Bond makes a valid point here, as more often than not, players find it hard to switch from one format to the other, especially the batsmen, who are required to condition their minds to play 50 overs rather than the blitzkrieg of T20 cricket.

As far as Rohit Sharma is concerned, he is a world-class player, and adjusting to the top of the order, where he has had considerable success in ODI cricket shouldn’t be a problem. It was, after all, during the previous Champions Trophy in 2013, at the same venue, that Rohit had made his name has a dependable opening batsman for India.