Indian team whitewashed West Indies 2-0 in the recently concluded Test series in the Caribbean and earned 120 points in the ICC World Test Championship. There were some brilliant performances from the Indian bowlers especially Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma.

There was an area of concern in the opening slots as KL Rahul failed to make a single significant score, while Mayank Agarwal scored a fifty. The focus was on KL Rahul, who has been struggling in the format since his 149 against England at Oval in 2018. He has not made a single fifty since then and is only holding onto his place due to injuries to other openers.

However, Sourav Ganguly feels that this inconsistency from Rahul is a good chance for selectors to try Rohit Sharma as an opener in upcoming Test series against South Africa. "The opening still remains an area to work on. Mayank Agarwal looks good but will need a few more opportunities. His partner, KL Rahul, though, has flattered to deceive and that creates an opening at the top," Ganguly opined.

"I had suggested earlier about trying Rohit Sharma as an opener in Test cricket and I still believe that he needs to be given an opportunity because he is too good a player to be left out in the cold. After a fantastic World Cup, I believe he will be itching to grab the opportunity to open in Tests. With Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari settling in nicely, there is not much left to play around in the middle order," Ganguly wrote.

He praised the Indian bowling lineup for their performances and wrote particularly about Jasprit Bumrah, "The revelation has been India's fast-bowling department, especially Jasprit Bumrah. The rapid strides he has made and the way he is improving, he is sure to dominate world cricket for some time to come. Not only his speed, but his variation and control of line and length are worth noticing. He is a threat in all forms of the game and needs to be handled carefully. India’s support staff needs to ensure that Bumrah remains away from injuries.”

"Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami have been a good foil for him (Bumrah); and with Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini waiting in the wings, the Indian pace-bowling department currently has the riches to manage everyone’s workload without affecting the balance of the team," concluded the 47-year-old Ganguly.

(Times of India inputs)