"Seems like he is giving up" - Fans slam Rohit Sharma for another low score in 3rd BGT 2024-25 Test
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma continued his dismal run of form with another low score (10 from 27 deliveries) on Day 4 (December 17) of the third Test against Australia in Brisbane. After missing the series opener, the 37-year-old returned for the D/N affair in Adelaide.
However, Rohit scored 3 and 6 in the two innings as India suffered a massive ten-wicket defeat. With the pressure mounting on him, the veteran batter played a loose shot to an outside off-stump delivery to be caught behind off Pat Cummins.
Rohit has scored only 152 runs in his last 13 Test innings at an average of under 12 with a lone half-century. His numbers in Australia also continued to take a hit with the latest dismissal.
Rohit averages a sub-par 26.68 in 17 Test innings down under with only three half-centuries.
Fans on Twitter slammed the Indian skipper for his continued troubled run with the following reactions:
Fans continued their criticism of Rohit for his dismal recent run, with one saying:
"Pat Cummins loved it. What was Rohit Sharma trying to do? He should be back opening instead of hiding in the middle order."
I have never seen Rohit Sharma in under confidence like this...it seems like he is giving up everything, and things mentally disturbed him," tweeted a fan.
"Taking Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's wickets is as easy as finding coaching classes in Kota - just throw a stone (ball), and you'll hit one!" a fan said.
"He needs to have a great intent and energy about him" - Matthew Hayden on Rohit Sharma
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden felt Rohit Sharma's lack of energy and intent had been a key factor in his recent Test struggles.
His latest dismissal left India in dire straits at 74/5 in response to Australia's massive first-innings total of 445.
Speaking to Star Sports after Day 3, Hayden said:
"When I think of Rohit Sharma, I think of a free-scoring batsman. You look at those double hundreds in one-day cricket, his magnificence in the short formats. For purely Rohit Sharma's sake, he needs to have a great intent and energy about him. When I think back to Adelaide's first game here in a long time, he was just a little sluggish. I'd be saying to him as his partner, 'I don't really want to see you defend the ball here'. "
He added:
"I want him to be really reactive to the ball, really up for the fight, because his natural game will flow. Energy and intent will take that front foot a lot further towards the ball. Rohit, what I want you to do, my brother, is play with great energy and intent, and I'd have those as two maybe trigger words for him to think about in his preparation."
Meanwhile, India have recovered to an extent since Rohit's dismissal, with an unbeaten 26-run partnership between KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja to reach 100/5 in 29 overs.