"You will say it was more risk and less reward" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma's dismissal on Day 4 of the WTC final
Aakash Chopra has pointed out that Rohit Sharma was dismissed while playing a risky shot considering the situation of the game.
Rohit scored 43 runs before he fell prey to Nathan Lyon in India's second innings of the World Test Championship (WTC) final. India ended Day 4 (Saturday, June 10) at 164/3, needing a further 280 runs with seven wickets in hand.
While reviewing the game in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted that Rohit was required to play a substantial knock but ended up getting dismissed while playing a risky shot:
"After Gill was dismissed, Pujara came and he was actually batting well. Rohit Sharma was there alongside him and he was playing extremely fluently, but this run chase will not be done through fluency, it will be done with a big knock, which is very very important."
The former Indian opener added:
"Then Rohit Sharma got out in Nathan Lyon's over. He was playing the sweep. If you see it in terms of risk-reward, you will say it was more risk and less reward. However, if you see it from a different angle, you will say that's Rohit's way of playing."
Rohit missed the ball while trying to sweep Lyon, who was operating from the around-the-wicket angle, and was ruled out leg-before-wicket. Although he reviewed the decision, the replays showed that the ball pitched within the stumps and was crashing into the off-stump.
"You suddenly became 93/3" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara losing their wickets one after the other
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara's dismissals in back-to-back overs put India behind the eight ball:
"You will get cut at times with the sword you use to cut. The truth is that he got out and Pujara got out right after him. While you were 92/1, you suddenly became 93/3. Pujara got out while playing the ramp shot off Pat Cummins' bowling."
The reputed commentator added that both batters played shots outside their comfort zone:
"Neither Pujara plays the ramp shot that often nor Rohit plays the fine sweep so early - when it is the first or second over of the off-spinner. But both these things happened and India were three down and staring down the barrel because suddenly 444 looked like a huge total."
Rohit and Pujara (27) added 51 runs for the second wicket to take India to a position of strength at 92/1. Their dismissals reduced last cycle's runners-up to 93/3 before Virat Kohli (44*) and Ajinkya Rahane (20*) strung together an unbroken 71-run fourth-wicket partnership to give them some hope heading into the fifth day of the title decider.