India captain Rohit Sharma walks back after getting out in the second innings of the third Test match against New Zealand. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Dinesh Karthik says Rohit Sharma is struggling because as an opener he is not trusting his technique.
In the recently-concluded Test series against New Zealand, Rohit Sharma’s scores in the three Tests read: 2, 52, 0, 8, 18 and 11. Rohit Sharma ended up scoring 91 runs in his six innings, which will pose creases on the foreheads of the Indian think tank heading into the series against Australia.
“The one thing that Rohit Sharma is not doing, which he did very well when took up his role as an opener, is trust his technique,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
“Yes, attack is an option. But that will only come better if you trust your technique.
“Because you are worried you might get out defending or playing a soft shot, you are trying to attack. Then, that is fraught with risk. Because if it doesn’t come off, it looks silly.
Rohit Sharna plays a shot in Mumbai Test against New Zealand. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
“In Test cricket, what I feel is that intent is getting him into a safe space, where he feels when in trouble, use that. It’s not a method where he’s using it like he’s using it in white-ball cricket, one that the Indian team needed.
“Here, a lot of times, when he is beaten a couple of times, when he is put under a little bit of pressure, an immediate instinct is to play an attacking shot fraught with risk. Now with that comes the possibility to get out as well,” he said.
“I think his safe space right now, in Rohit Sharma’s case, is to attack. He feels he is a lot more comfortable doing it because he’s seen that success. But when it doesn’t go right, it always will give the image that it
has given so far,” he added.
Rohit Sharma accepted his share of the blame after India’s 0-3 capitulation against New Zealand, where the hosts hit a new low: getting white-washed at home (in a series lasting over three matches) for the first time since they started playing Tests in 1933.
“As a captain, I was not at my best in leading the team, and with the bat as well. That is from a personal point of view,” Rohit Sharma said at the post-match presentation.
I’m Manas Ranjan Sahoo: Founder of “Webtirety Software”. I’m a Full-time Software Professional and an aspiring entrepreneur, dedicated to growing this platform as large as possible. I love to Write Blogs on Software, Mobile applications, Web Technology, eCommerce, SEO, and about My experience with Life.