Rohit Sharma’s captaincy in the ongoing IND vs AUS Boxing Day Test against Australia has raised eyebrows following a series of questionable decisions. From team selection to on-field strategies, experts have expressed their concerns over Rohit Sharma’s approach, which seems to have put India on the back foot after a promising start to the series. Not just with captaincy, Rohit is again failed with the bat, so far he has scored only 22 runs in five innings. Let’s look at what cricket pundits have to say on Rohit Sharma.
Ravi Shastri questions Rohit bowling strategy
Commentating during the Melbourne Test, former India coach Ravi Shastri was vocal in his criticism of the decision to include two spinners in the playing XI, only to employ them late in the innings. “Why did you take 2 spinners if you had to bowl them after 40 overs? In Melbourne, spinners should always bowl in 1 or 1 and a half overs. I didn’t understand why Jadeja and Sundar bowled after 40 overs,” questioned Shastri.
Shastri also felt that India should have started Day 2 with their premier bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, rather than Mohammed Siraj. “India should’ve started with Bumrah but Siraj bowled the first over. With Siraj’s confidence being low, it’s important to handle him well,” he pointed out. Moreover, Shastri was puzzled by some field placements, particularly during Mitchell Starc’s innings.
Sunil Gavaskar’s disappointment
Sunil Gavaskar also commented on India’s lacklustre performance, especially criticising the pace attack. “Pretty ordinary bowling. If you have to bowl a bouncer, you get it around the helmet’s badge and not around the waist. I’m very disappointed, I’m sorry. This new ball has been wasted. Aakash Deep has been all over the place,” lamented Gavaskar during his commentary.
Gilchrist and Prasad weigh in on poor captaincy
Australian legend Adam Gilchrist wasn’t impressed with Rohit’s defensive field settings, highlighting the difference between this match and India’s performance under Bumrah’s leadership. “India showed in the first Test of the series under the leadership of Jasprit Bumrah. The fact that the team looked completely different and had the spirit to win in them under Bumrah’s captaincy” he said.
Meanwhile, former India chief selector MSK Prasad criticized Rohit’s overall leadership, pointing out, “Captaincy has a direct impact on the performance of the team. Unfortunately, Rohit hasn’t been proactive and is struggling.”
Katich’s take on India’s proactiveness
Simon Katich echoed similar sentiments, noting, “India has been dismantled here and it’s started at the top with Rohit. It’s not been proactive captaincy at all. It has been reactive and they look like they are in disarray. Australia are bullying them.” The criticism highlights the contrast between this Test and the first match, where India excelled under Bumrah’s interim captaincy in Rohit’s absence. As the series progresses, the pressure mounts on Rohit to turn things around and reclaim India’s momentum.
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