"The body language just showed complete lack of confidence" - Sanjay Manjrekar reacts to yet another Rohit Sharma failure on Day 2 of pink-ball Test
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar opined that Rohit Sharma's body language showed a complete lack of confidence on Day 2 of the pink-ball Test against Australia in Adelaide on Saturday, December 7. Manjrekar also said the Indian captain has serious issues with his defense, which is getting breached time and again in Test matches.
Having missed the Perth Test due to personal reasons, Rohit returned to lead India in the ongoing Test in Adelaide. Just two days into the contest, though, the visitors are staring at defeat.
On a personal level, Rohit has had a forgettable time. He was trapped lbw by Scott Boland for three in the first innings and was knocked over Pat Cummins for six on Saturday, with a length ball that held its line.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar opined that Rohit's body language wasn't great during this short stay and added that his unimpressive knock demonstrated his lack of preparation for the Test. The former cricketer stated:
“The way he looked as well when he was batting out there, the body language just showed complete lack of confidence. For somebody who is struggling for runs and coming a few days before the Test match and having a quarter of a warm-up game is just not ideal preparation."
The 59-year-old added that Rohit has got serious issues with his technique as a result of which he is getting exposed time and again at the top level.
“There is more to it because even in India, on those kinds of pitches, people like Matt Henry were troubling him. There was one innings where there was a review that saved him, but soon after, he was out with the ball going through his defense in the very same way, when he takes a small step forward and the bat is just dangling there, hoping that the ball comes and hits it," Manjrekar said.
"Rohit Sharma is clearly struggling with defense. The most important thing you need in Test cricket is letting him down. He doesn’t have confidence in his defense, plus the preparation is thoroughly inadequate for a man who is in this current shape," the former India batter added.
After Australia responded with 337 to India's first innings total of 180, their bowlers reduced the visitors to 128-5 by stumps on Day 2. India still trail the Aussies by 29 runs and will be hoping for Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy to string a big partnership on Day 3.
Rohit Sharma's woeful run in Test cricket
Since scoring a hundred against England in Dharamsala in March 2024, the Indian captain has completely lost his batting rhythm. In six matches (12 innings) since the ton, he has only managed 142 runs at an average of 11.83. The 37-year-old has crossed the 50 mark just once during this phase when he made 52 against New Zealand in Bengaluru in October.