We are open minded about No 3 slot: Rohit Sharma

Mohali: Team India captain Rohit Sharma said the team's think tank is open minded on having a permanent No.3 batsman as nothing is certain at the moment in this regard.

"I am not sure about anything at the moment. In time to come you will realise who is that No.3 player. At the moment, Hanuma Vihari has done pretty well and expect him to continue to do so in the next test match as well. I honestly can't tell you about the future because future is very uncertain. We need to live in present and focus on what lies ahead for us in the next game," he said in a virtual press conference after winning the Mohali Test.

"I think it's important to do that. Give these guys confidence and we will take it from there. We are very open-minded as a team management. So, whatever it suits the best for the team we will try and take that call," he added.

Rohit was replying to query whether he sees Vihari as No.3 batsman in the future. The youngster had scored a useful 58 runs in India's first innings. Asked if he considers Mohali performance a clinical one, Sharma said in the affirmative stating, "I have been part of a test match in India where the performance have been of similar kind where we have got bigger score and wrapped the game up by an innings against the opposition."

On Ravichandran Ashwin's wicket-taking record, Sharma said that it is a big achievement to surpass Kapil Dev's 434 wickets. "It is a big thing in his cricketing career to achieve that feat. When you grow up wanting to play test cricket, you don't dream about all these things. So, to surpass that it is a big achievement on his behalf and I have been watching Ashwin for a long time now and every time I watched him, he seems to get better and better," he said.

Further lauding Ashwin for improving his batting, Sharma said, "Ashwin is one of those kind of players where confidence is always there in his ability, whatever he wants to go out there and achieve for himself and then for the team as well. He played a crucial innings as well with the bat and got us a big big partnership there with Jadeja. So evertime I see him he seems to get better and better."

On Ashwin's overseas place in the past, India skipper said that he cannot comment on it because he was not part of selection then. (UNI)