- People closely following the fortunes of the Indian cricket team in all formats would recollect how the hitman Rohit Sharma has been struggling over the last couple of years. Yes, sporadic brilliance is coming into the fore showcasing what a dazzling batter Rohit has been over the years. Cricket-crazy fans also would note that his powers as a consistently dashing batsman of yore have been replaced by a somewhat inconsistent performer who rarely rises to the occasion. Note that he was replaced as the captain of the Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians last year and that might have also contributed to Rohit not being at his best as we all have come to know him. Mind you, Rohit’s IPL form in the last two editions has not been spectacular either.
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PC: Business Standard
- Of course, it would be harsh to judge and critically scrutinize the entertainer par excellence but the returns on the field of cricket in every format of the game do not lie. At the best of times, it’s known that Rohit is not an athletic cricketer and it’s visible that he has put on weight. The admirable trait of hand-eye coordination that used to fetch him tons of runs through pulls and hook shots has waned considerably leading to his downfall frequently. The instinctively attacking player in Rohit appears to be in two minds not knowing when to attack and defend. Especially, in Test cricket, Rohit finds himself at a crossroads and as such, stands brutally exposed in the ongoing five-match series in Australia. His returns in the series so far are pathetic.
PC: India Today
- As you are aware, Rohit missed the first Test for personal reasons. Team India under pacer Jasprit Bumrah won the Perth match beating the Australians quite convincingly much against popular belief. Rohit’s return subsequently as captain in the next three Tests has seen Team India lose two and draw one. Australians are up 2-1 in the series with Sydney Test slated to commence in the new year. Yes, some of the tactical blunders committed by the captain are too apparent to ignore. By not opting to open the batting in the second Test, Rohit may have appeased the experts about sacrificing his position for the Team’s cause. However, the move hardly worked in favour of the Team and Rohit simply failed to deliver with the bat as well while batting down the order.
PC: The Press Journal
The body language of the captain is hard to miss on the field. The confident and assured gait has paved the way for frustration and angry gestures whenever a catch is dropped, or misfielding occurs simply showcasing the frustration building up in him. Test cricket is the toughest format brutally exposing every cricketer’s fragility without remorse. Thus, Rohit’s troubles are getting compounded manifolds since the bat has stopped talking of late. Whatever happens after the Sydney Test, one thing is certain Rohit will not continue as a skipper or a player in the classic format. Inarguably, he is not getting any younger and it’s better for the hitman to make way for a deserving cricketer to step in. The team’s cause is more important than the individual’s, you see.
