5 reasons why Rohit Sharma has struggled in Sri Lanka
India's vice-captain Rohit Sharma is in terrific form since 2016 as he averages 62.28 in ODIs. The right-hand batsman is especially severe against Sri Lanka. Against the island nation, he has amassed more than a thousand runs in 37 innings and his highest score of 264* came against Sri Lanka.
Interestingly, the right-hand batsman's average dips to 14.25 in ODIs played in Sri Lanka. Rohit has a history of failures while batting in Sri Lanka and in 22 innings has managed to score to only one half-century.
The ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka is an ideal chance for the opener to repair the damage and to improve his stats.It will be exciting to see how Rohit, who is coming back from an injury fares against a relatively poor Sri Lankan attack.
However, it is also crucial to know why his stats are abysmal in Sri Lanka. Here we decode Rohit's failures in Sri Lanka and see how he can overcome his flaws.
#5. The seaming ball comes into him
A major chink in Rohit's armor has been the ball that comes in after pitching. The Indian batsman has struggled across the world, whenever the bowlers have extracted some movement from the surface or the air.
Rohit is a technically sound batsman with an impeccable defence but when it comes to deliveries that are aimed at the stumps with some pace, he behaves like a rabbit caught in headlines. The lack of footwork and ability to play across the line have resulted in his downfall.
Over the years, the Sri Lankan pacers have exploited this flaw effectively. Especially the right-arm bowlers have consistently attacked the stumps, increasing the troubles for the Indian batsman. Out of his 20 dismissals in Sri Lanka, 14 have come against pacers.
And out of these 14 dismissals, three have been bowled and six have been LBWs. These stats indicate the technical flaw in Rohit's batting.