WATCH: 'They gave me the freedom to...' - Rohit Sharma opens up about support he received from Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri in his Test cricket comeback

Former India captain and head coach duo, Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri were the crucial people behind Rohit Sharma's comeback or rebirth in Test cricket. The red-ball skipper Rohit revealed in YouTube show of Jatin Sapru regarding his conversation with Kohli and Shastri before his Test cricket revival.

They decided to give Rohit a chance and sent him up the order which changed his life forever. Rohit said, "In the second innings, I was very grateful to Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli for giving me the opportunity to bat up the order. It wasn’t an easy decision to promote me in Tests. They trusted me." When he made his debut in 2013, he struggled to get into the team but once he did, he then struggled to stay in the team for a long time. 

WATCH video here:

While @ImRo45 Rohit’s legacy in test cricket is being discussed - Here’s a little story of his comeback into test cricket .. Also a sneak peek into how @RaviShastriOfc and @imVkohli planned India’s ascendancy in tests. pic.twitter.com/LO0jVtqP7O

— Jatin Sapru (@jatinsapru) October 1, 2024

Rohit played only 27 Tests till 2018, scoring 1585 runs with three hundred and 10 fifties. It was time for a 2nd chance which Rohit got and proved himself to be one of the best in the format. He added, "My response to them was clear: I’ll play my natural game and won’t take the pressure of trying to survive. I’m going to play freely. If the ball is there, whether it’s the first ball of the Test or not, I’m going to hit it. They gave me the freedom to do what I wanted."

Rohit Sharma's career changed after opening for India

Transforming Rohit Sharma as an opener in Test cricket changed his life forever. Since he became the opener, he scored 2594 runs in 34 Tests, including nine centuries and seven fifties. His position benefitted India as they got a permanent opener on whom the team can rely on during tough conditions. 

One small decision of Kohli and Shastri changed the entire scenario of Indian cricket. However, critics didn't give them the credit which they deserved and were only content about seeing the lack of trophies in their career. The credit of Rohit's success in the longer format of the game should go to the former captain and coach duo who did other great things for the team as well.