The discussions among oppositions in the build-up to or during a home Test series in India has been more or less similar over the last decade or more. One is definitely the pitch while the other is on the danger that the India's spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja is on those tracks. Virat Kohli is of course there as well, but he invariably remains the talk of every series, across formats, irrespective of the conditions. The 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series so far has been no different. But former India head coach Ravi Shastri has pointed out that despite the talk around Kohli and Ashwin, an India star, who is "much like Sehwag at his best", will set the tone for India against Australia.

As far the Nagpur opener goes, there were three cricketers who played a pivotal role in India's colossal win by an innings and 123 runs. Each of Jadeja and Ashwin picked a five-wicket haul in either innings as Australia managed 177 runs and 91 runs respectively while the former even scored a valiant 70-run knock to be adjudged as the Player of the Match. The other player was the one Shastri has been in praise of - Rohit Sharma, the Indian skipper, who scored his ninth Test century.

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As pointed out correctly by Shastri in his conversation on The ICC Review, Rohit did "set the tone" after Australia were folded for just 177 runs on Day 1. He scored a fluent 56* to reduce the deficit to 100 runs at the close of opening day before holding the fort at one end on the second morning amid a middle-order collapse. Rohit eventually scored a ton, his first as a Test captain, as India amassed 400 runs in the first innings.

“His record in India as an opening batsman is stunning,” Shastri told The ICC Review. “He will dictate terms very early on. I mentioned Ashwin, there'll be a lot of talk of Kohli, there'll be a lot of talk of Pujara. But I think Rohit at the top, if he can set the tone, that'll comfort the dressing room big time. But his form can dictate terms in the series, not just because of the runs he'll get, but the pace at which he gets it.”

Shastri then compared Rohit to that of India batting legend Sehwag.

“If Rohit stays there, he gets it quickly. He won't allow any bowler to settle,” said Shastri. “Runs will come much like Viru at his best. When Virender Sehwag was in form, he made the job for the middle order a lot easier by really taking it to the opposition early on. His role will be that.”

With a 1-0 lead in the four-match series, India head to New Delhi with the aim to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the fourth consecutive time.

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