"Rohit Sharma batting in full sleeves was not on my 2024 calendar"- Fans react as skipper departs for 3 off 11 in IND vs PMXI BGT 2024-25 warmup game
India captain Rohit Sharma had a forgetful outing in the pink-ball warmup game against Australia PM XI at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Sunday, December 1. The right-handed batter departed for just three runs off 11 balls. He was caught at first slip off Charlie Anderson while poking at a wide delivery that nipped in after pitching.
Fans on X were unhappy with Rohit Sharma's failure in the warmup fixture. One user wrote:
"Rohit sharma is a concern for India, you cannot expect confidence the way he's playing these days."
Another user wrote:
"Rohit Sharma batting in full sleeves was not on my 2024 calendar."
A third user added:
"When was the last time Rohit Sharma survived for 100 balls?"
Fans also came up with contrasting views as Rohit dropped himself to No. 4 as KL Rahul opened in the practice match. The wicketkeeper-batter had scored 26 and 77 in the first Test.
Rohit Sharma will lead India in the remainder of the BGT 2024-25 Test
Rohit Sharma will lead India in the remaining four Tests of the five-match series in Australia. He is coming on the back of a 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand in his previous assignment and will next be seen in action during the pink-ball, second Test in Adelaide, which begins on Friday, December 6.
Rohit missed the first Test in Perth as he was on a paternal leave. Jasprit Bumrah led the tourists in his absence. The speedster guided his team to a mammoth 295-run victory, thanks to his fifer and centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli.
Notably, the 37-year-old has been dismal with the bat in the last five Tests, scoring just 102 runs in his last 10 innings with the help of a half-century.
Rohit will be keen to turn things around with the bat, having amassed 3571 runs against Australia across formats, including nine tons. The Mumbai batter has 2033 runs Down Under.
As far as the warmup match is concerned, India were 135/2 after 28 overs, with Shubman Gill and Nitish Kumar Reddy at the crease, at the time of writing.
Batting first, Australia PM XI were bundled out for 240 in 43.2 overs. Sam Konstas starred with the bat, scoring 107 off 97. Harshit Rana bagged four wickets for the visitors.
Follow IND vs AUS PM XI live score and updates here.