"I feel it wasn't a good reason" - Sunil Gavaskar on KL Rahul being replaced by Rohit Sharma as opener in BGT 2024-25 4th Test

Sunil Gavaskar reckons Team India did not have a good enough reason to change KL Rahul's batting position in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. He pointed out that Rohit Sharma shouldn't have replaced the Karnataka batter as an opener as the Indian skipper wasn't among the runs.

Rahul was dismissed for a duck in India's second innings of the Boxing Day Test against Australia in Melbourne on Monday, December 30. The visitors were bundled out for 155 and lost the game by 184 runs to go 1-2 down in the five-match series.

While reviewing the game on Star Sports, Gavaskar was asked whether it was fair to change the opening combination.

"There should be a good reason for it and I feel it wasn't a good reason. If Rohit Sharma had scored 40-50 runs in the Brisbane or Adelaide Test, you could have said that he had got his rhythm and could return to his number. However, that was not the case," he responded.

The former India captain added that Rohit should have taken Rahul's place at the top of the order only if he had spent decent time in the middle in the third Test in Brisbane.

"Forget a fifty, if he had batted for one-and-a-half to two hours in the Brisbane Test and scored 30-40 runs at No. 6, you could have said that the successful pair could be disturbed. Yes, I agree it was successful only in the second innings in Perth but it wasn't Rahul's mistake, Yashasvi Jaiswal had gotten out there. Rahul batted very well in all three matches," Gavaskar observed.

Rohit managed 10 runs in his only innings in Brisbane and aggregated just nine runs across two hits in the second Test in Adelaide. He failed in both innings in Melbourne as well, scoring three in the first and nine in the second essay.

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"I wouldn't want to see KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal's opening partnership being changed" - Irfan Pathan

KL Rahul scored 24 runs in India's first innings in Melbourne. [P/C: Getty]

In the same discussion, Irfan Pathan noted that he wanted India to stick with the opening combination of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal for the Melbourne Test.

"I was saying before this match started that I wouldn't want to see KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal's opening partnership being changed. There are a lot of things involved in that. It includes the current form, especially overseas. It's not that easy overseas," he said.

The former India all-rounder pointed out that Rahul was better adjusted to the conditions in Australia.

"In India, you take some rest and return and do the adjustment. Here, you need to see who is leaving the balls better and has a better idea. That's why I was repeatedly advocating that you need to keep in mind that KL Rahul's place shouldn't change," Pathan observed.

While acknowledging that batting in the top three is almost similar, Pathan added that the mindset is slightly different as you need to wait when you are at No. 3. He pointed out that every batter has a pattern and entry point and Rahul's entry point was as an opener.