Rohit’s struggles against Cummins in Tests have become a recurring issue, with the numbers highlighting his ongoing challenges
Rohit Sharma (Pic: AFP)
Rohit Sharma’s return to the opening role in the Boxing Day Test on Friday turned out to be an outing he would rather forget.
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The India captain was dismissed cheaply by Pat Cummins for just three runs on Day 2, continuing his struggles with form.
Facing a short-of-length delivery outside off stump, Rohit attempted an unconvincing pull shot. It was a half-hearted effort that resulted in a mistimed top-edge, which looped towards mid-on.
Scott Boland made no mistake, easily claiming the catch to send Rohit back to the pavilion. This experiment, where Rohit opened the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, appeared to be an attempt to rejuvenate his approach, but it failed to yield any positive results. His series scores now stand at a disappointing 3, 6, 10, and 3.
Captain Rohit Sharma loses his wicket early for 3 off 5 #INDvsAUS #RohitSharma pic.twitter.com/dMyTerXCRR
— Cricket Kraze (@cricketKraze11) December 27, 2024
Rohit’s struggles against Cummins in Tests have become a recurring issue, with the numbers highlighting his ongoing challenges. Over 13 innings, Rohit has faced 199 deliveries from Cummins, scoring a mere 127 runs while being dismissed seven times.
Ricky Ponting, speaking on Seven Cricket, was critical of the shot selection: “That’s just a lazy, not switched on, not up for the moment type of shot. He’s been known as one of the best hookers and pullers of the ball since he made his debut but that’s just not there. It’s nothing. It’s not committed, not really looking to be aggressive, he’s just looking to tap it on the head. Might have held in the wicket yes, it might have seamed away from him a fraction. But if you’re going to survive against this Australian attack, you’ve got to be switched on. You’ve got to be making good decisions. If you’re not, they’ll knock you over every time.”
Earlier on Day 2, Rohit faced criticism for his perplexing captaincy decisions and team selections during the Melbourne Test. His decision to bring Washington Sundar into the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test, at the expense of Shubman Gill, has drawn repeated scrutiny. From his handling of the bowlers to the specific match-ups deployed against Australian batters, Rohit struggled to optimize India’s bowling resources in the opening two days.
Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri was particularly critical of Rohit and head coach Gautam Gambhir for opting to play two spinners in the XI, given their evident lack of trust in the spinners' ability to deliver.
Meanwhile, Australia asserted their dominance with Steve Smith’s century powering them to a commanding 474 in their first innings on Day 2. Despite a spirited fightback from India on Day 1, the Indian bowlers were unable to dismiss the overnight pair of Smith and skipper Pat Cummins, who contributed 49 runs off 63 balls. The duo added 112 runs for the seventh wicket, nullifying the slight advantage that Jasprit Bumrah had provided his team earlier in the match.
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