NEW DELHI: Leading from the front is what a captain is known for. And there is no doubt that Rohit Sharma has led India from the front ever since he was handed over the captaincy of the team.
Rohit was absolutely fantastic with the bat in the ODI World Cup last year and India were looking good to go all the way before stumbling against the mighty Aussies in the final.
Nevertheless, Rohit led India to glory in June by lifting the T20 World Cup title in the West Indies.
But public memory is short. Some failures in the Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand and the knives are out again and there were calls for change.
Rohit last hit a Test hundred against England at Dharamsala in March 2024. That was India’s last home Test series before the Bangladesh team arrived in September.
In the four innings against Bangladesh, Rohit reached double figures only once when he scored 23 in the first innings of the second Test in Kanpur.
Against New Zealand, Rohit scored 52 in the first Test of the second innings at Benglauru but the first innings debacle of India getting bundled out for 46 – their lowest ever Test total at home – meant that India were always on the back foot in the match.
And it’s not just the cheap dismissals but also the manner of his dismissals that’s hurting India. He was clean bowled in both the innings at Benglauru and also in the first innings of the second Test at Pune.
Rohit’s clean bowled dismissals against Tim Southee are signs of worry. The dismissal in Pune was the 14th instance of Southee dismissing Rohit in all international cricket – the most he has dismissed a batter and the joint most Rohit has fallen to a bowler, alongside Kagiso Rabada.
Rohit has often been vulnerable to early swing and seam movement. Fast bowlers who can shape the ball away or bowl at a tight line have managed to exploit this, getting him out early in several innings.
As India’s captain and a senior batsman, there’s always pressure to perform and lead by example. This can sometimes make it challenging to play with a free-flowing style, especially in high-stakes tournaments.
Rohit will have one more chance to come good with the bat by leading India to victory at his home ground in Mumbai. Even though India have lost the series, a victory in the third Test would save Rohit and his team the ignominy of suffering a clean sweep at home.
The Bangladesh and New Zealand series have not been an ideal preparation for India’s upcoming tour of Australia. The knives will be out Down Under too.