Trial Run

Rohit’s opening gambit before main Test, Proteas face Board President’s XI in warm-up match

Rohit Sharma will begin a last ditch effort to save his stop-start Test career with a trial run in the unfamiliar opener’s slot when he leads the Board President's XI in a three-day warm-up game against South Africa, starting in Vizianagaram on Thursday.

With the national selection committee and the team management deciding to promote Rohit as an opener, keeping his spunky strokeplay in mind, the next five Tests could be a make or break for the 32year-old stylish right-hander.

He will have Mayank Agarwal for company as the two would look to strike an understanding before the first Test starting on October 2 in Visakhapatnam. The third notable character in the game would be Umesh Yadav, who has been drafted into the Test side as an injured Jasprit Bumrah's replacement.