NEW DELHI: It appears that Rohit Sharma is at the end of his game. “Tough times for him,” the legendary Sunil Gavaskar said while on air with broadcasters ‘7Cricket’.
“There will be a second innings and two more in Sydney. Questions will be asked if he doesn’t score in those three innings,” Gavaskar said on air as he saw it.
There are growing concerns about when the 38-year-old Indian captain may end his Test career after being cheaply dismissed again by a short ball from Pat Cummins.
Will Rohit, however, let these questions fester? Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the national selection committee, is currently in Melbourne, and it won’t come as a surprise if it turns out that the two former teammates have talked about the future while India navigates a difficult transition.
By all measures, his 155 runs in eight Test matches at an average of 11.07 per 14 innings is extremely low, and he hasn’t benefited from not scoring after adjusting a predetermined starting combination.
Sydney is thought to be the last stop on his cricketing trip in whites if India does not make it to the World Test Championship.
For the Sydney Test, however, will the captain be more practical and remove himself from the starting lineup to make room for an unstoppable KL Rahul and a rampaging Yashasvi Jaiswal?
During his IPL playing career, current national coach Gautam Gambhir once quit after a terrible first phase, realizing that his days as a T20 opener were over.
There is a growing sentiment that veteran players in Indian cricket may benefit from a similar strategy.
Shouldn’t the Indian captain be informed that he may no longer be a sure pick in the Test top six if Ravichandran Ashwin could be forced into retirement and made to understand that he isn’t even one of the top two spinners in international conditions?
In seven more weeks, however, the captain will play in the ODI Champions Trophy, and he remains a formidable force in that format.
Even though his confidence is affected by his present form, if the Test obligation is removed from him, he might perform well in the ODIs.
The concept of batting in the middle order never appealed to Rohit, and he realized after three innings that it had not worked. Consequently, Rohit returned to his comfortable opening position and Shubman Gill was removed from the playing eleven.
However, his strategic maneuvers are also failing, much like his pull shots.
Despite going through a lean period together, Rohit and Virat Kohli differ most in how they appear at the crease.
In fact, a century did come in the second innings in the Perth Test, and Kohli continues to be a picture of intent and gives the impression that a big knock could be imminent.
He looked well on his second day at the MCG, punishing the half-volleys while attempting to leave as many deliveries in the channel as possible.
However, Rohit has looked absolutely out of place, bewildered, and a walking wicket.
The skipper has to decide quickly as things are. Perhaps his team is anticipating it.
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