Last Updated:
Matthew Hayden reflected on Rohit Sharma’s best knocks and gave some advice on how he can get back to his best form.
Rohit Sharma will look to put up a big score in the first innings of the third Test. (Image: AP)
The legendary Australian opening batter, Matthew Hayden has called on Rohit Sharma to play with energy and intent and the former Aussie international backs the Indian skipper to get back to run-scoring form should he take a more reactive approach to his batting.
Hayden in an interaction with Star Sports, reflected on some of Rohit’s best knocks in ODIs and believes that the Indian captain’s free-scoring ways is the way to go to see him back to his best form.
“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…” Hayden said.
The former opening batter called on Rohit to take a more reactive approach with his batting and continue fighting against the Aussies with what he perceives is to be his natural game.
“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’. 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,” he added.
Rohit after facing six balls, is yet to score his first runs of the Test and remains unbeaten with KL Rahul who looks steady at 33 runs from 64 deliveries as the third day’s play came to an end.
Both men would stitch a massive partnership to help take India’s first-innings score closer to Australia’s to maintain their shot at winning the Test. Both teams have won one game each and each Test would matter a lot considering that a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the 2023-25 cycle could be at stake.
