India vs Australia: Rohit Sharma leaves reporter stumped with his response on Virat Kohli ahead of Boxing day Test match
New Delhi: Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, India captain Rohit Sharma addressed concerns about his knee injury sustained during practice, reassuring that it was fine. He also kept his batting position uncertain. Rohit was struck on the left knee during a training session at the MCG on Sunday, sparking speculation about the severity of the injury. “My knee is fine,” he confirmed during a media interaction before the fourth Border-Gavaskar Test, starting December 26.
Rohit had missed the opening Test in Australia to be with his family for the birth of his second child. While he was expected to reclaim the opener’s spot, KL Rahul’s impressive 77 in India’s victory at Perth led to a reshuffle in the batting order, with Rohit possibly batting at No. 6.
The batting reshuffle hasn’t yielded positive results for Rohit Sharma, as he has scored only 10, 3, and 6 runs in his last three innings. In contrast, KL Rahul capitalized on his opportunity, scoring an impressive 84 in the first innings at Brisbane in the third Test. Rohit, however, maintained that team interests would guide any batting decisions, emphasizing that discussing individual positions wasn’t important at this stage.
Addressing questions about Virat Kohli’s form, particularly his struggles outside the off-stump, Rohit confidently stated that the “modern-day greats” like Kohli would find a way to overcome such challenges. Kohli’s century in the second innings at Perth was a key contribution, but his subsequent dismissals for 7 and 11 in the second Test and 3 in the third Test raised concerns.
Rohit also addressed the struggles of young Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has failed to replicate his match-winning 161 from the first Test. Rohit encouraged Jaiswal to continue playing his natural free-flowing game without altering his mindset.
The series is tied 1-1 after three Tests, and with two more to go, both teams have an equal chance. Rohit Sharma’s performance in red-ball cricket has been disappointing, especially in overseas conditions. Since his Test debut in 2013, his batting average in overseas Tests stands at just 32, which drops further to 26.6 in Australia. In this series, he is averaging below 10. Having lost his opening spot to the in-form KL Rahul, Rohit has struggled to make an impact even at No. 6. His leadership also came under scrutiny following the 3-0 drubbing India received against New Zealand last month. Rohit’s struggles with both his batting and leadership raise questions about his future in the team, and he may soon face increasing pressure from critics.