‘Made a mistake’: Ex-cricketers on Rohit Sharma’s poor form

Rohit Sharma (Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: Former cricketer Atul Wassan has voiced his concerns over India captain Rohit Sharma’s recent struggles, pointing to a key mistake in his comeback strategy during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Wassan believes that Rohit’s decision to bat at number six, instead of his usual opening role, upon returning to the side in the second Test against Australia, has contributed to his dip in form.
In just six months, Rohit has gone from being hailed as a hero for leading India to a T20 World Cup victory to facing scrutiny for his inconsistent performances.
Rohit’s lean patch began in the two Tests against Bangladesh in September and persisted through the three-Test series against New Zealand on home soil. His struggles have continued during the ongoing series in Australia.

After missing the first Test due to personal reasons, Rohit returned for the second Test in Adelaide, opting to bat in the middle order for the second and third matches before reverting to his opening role in the fourth Test.
However, his return to the top of the order did not bring the expected turnaround.
In the fourth Test, Rohit was dismissed for just 3 runs off 5 balls while attempting his trademark shot.

Wassan believes Rohit’s decision to bat in the middle order disrupted his rhythm.
“You can see the way he got out. Old Rohit would have hit it for a boundary. But this time, he stopped in the middle. His instinct said to hit it, but he felt he should not. He made the mistake of not opening when he returned,” Wassan told ANI.

Former India cricketer Madan Lal also weighed in, acknowledging that Rohit’s dismissal while attempting one of his signature shots is symptomatic of his current form.
“Questions will be raised. When you are not in form, you are not scoring runs, criticism will be there. On shots where he used to score fours and sixes, he got out while trying that shot. When you are out of form, such things happen. There are a couple of innings left, and I hope he scores runs,” Lal added.
Rohit will be looking to make the most of the remaining opportunities to silence his critics and rediscover his form.