Asia Cup 2023: IND vs PAK: Indian men’s cricket team captain Rohit Sharma was brutally slammed by fans as his struggle against left-arm pace continued in Asia Cup 2023 against Pakistan on Saturday.
After opting to bat first, Rohit Sharma partnered with Shubman Gill in the opening department under overcast condition. While Rohit played couple of shots earlier in the innings, his struggle against left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi was visible. The rain break also halted the 36-year-old’s momentum as he got dismissed on the 3rd ball after the resumption.
The Indian skipper was clean bowled by a stunning delivery from Afridi.
Shaheen later got rid of Virat Kohli with another stump rattling delivery as India were reduced to 27/2 in just 6.3 overs.
Rohit’s continuous struggle against left-arm pace left fans frustrated as they slammed the Indian skipper for not learning.
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Rohit Sharma vs left arm pace
Since the World Cup 2019, Rohit Sharma has played 19 innings against left-arm pacers, scoring 228 runs with an average of just 29. The 36-year-old’s dot percentage against the left quicks is a big 62.7% which shows how Rohit becomes too cautious against them.
Rohit not the only Indian batter with left-arm pace weakness
However, it’s not just Rohit Sharma who has struggled against a quality left-arm pacer. Other star Indian batters including Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill have also shown weakness against it.
Virat Kohli, who averages over 60 in ODIs, has an average of 34 against the likes of Trent Boult, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mustafizur Rahman and others.
With few quality left-arm pacers set to feature in World Cup 2023, Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid will have to find a solution in order to get hold of the coverted trophy at home.
