Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu believes Yashasvi Jaiswal, a left-handed batsman, would have been an ideal opening partner for Rohit Sharma in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
This would have allowed Virat Kohli to bat at number 3, creating a left-right batting combination at the top. However, Sidhu acknowledges the team management's decision to prioritize a different combination.
He explains that including Shivam Dube and Axar Patel necessitated Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opening, while Axar finds a spot at number 8 to capitalize on the bowling-friendly pitch at the Nassau County Stadium in New York.
The 60-year-old added that one cannot expect 200 runs in New York's pitch.
"If the tournament would have opened in West Indies, then we would have seen Rohit and Yashasvi opening the match, there you wouldn't have needed the 6th or the 7th bowler. So from this perspective, the combination of Rohit and Virat is important as they both are experienced players and they understand that 1st 6 overs are important and they can gain runs after that. You can't expect 200 runs in this pitch, 130 or 140 runs would be good, and this combination will work," he added.
