Select Dugout: Former India batsman VVS Laxman decodes Rohit Sharma's batting technique in Tests

India's latest Test opener Rohit Sharma stroked 529 runs in three Tests against South Africa recently. This new found confidence in him is a testimony to some tweaks he has brought in his batting technique while taking guard in the longest format of the match.

Star Sports expert and former India batsman VVS Laxman explained how Rohit managed to outdo the Proteas bowlers and excelled at the highest level of the game, in a Star Select video. Laxman pointed out that Rohit took the leg stump guard in the Tests as against leg and middle stump guard which he takes in T20Is and that made a huge difference.

Laxman said, "...In the Test series against South Africa when you see the guard in this Test series, he was standing outside the leg stump. He could afford to do that because it's a Test match he is got a long time to bat, whereas in the T20s, you see him taking a guard which is on the leg and middle stump, and all the more reason when he takes that initial setup and because it's on the leg and middle stump, the moment he takes the trigger moment, his left leg is almost outside the off-stump forcing him to make his head fall. The best way to is, stand on the leg stump, but make sure that his head doesn't fall but his head is still, and this will allow him to play more towards the middle off region back to the bowler or to the long on region, and it opens up both sides at the moment when the head falls is always playing across, more towards square leg and fine-leg fielder instead of back to the bowler and that's something that he can keep in mind.”

"The ideal position for Rohit Sharma is, he can take the back-and-across movement, but it's very important for him to keep the head still, the moment the ball comes in, he can have a very good path for the bat down swing, but the moment the head falls, he is forced to play across and whenever the ball moves back in there is a big gaps between the bat, and the padded region and that's something which  Rohit Sharma has to keep in mind," said Laxman.