Last Updated:
Ravi Shastri wants Rohit Sharma to trust his white-ball instincts and attempt counter-attacks from the middle-order.
Rohit Sharma has managed just 19 runs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri wants skipper Rohit Sharma to change his tactics and go on the aggressive in the fourth Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), starting December 26.
Rohit has had a tough time in Australia. In three innings (he missed the first Test), he has managed only 19 runs at an average of 6.33. Usually coming out to bat after top-order collapses, he has tried to drop anchor and defend but hasn’t been able to face more than 30 balls in an innings. His opposite number, Pat Cummins, has got him out twice already.
“I think he’s got to be very clear in his mindset to go out there and take the attack to the opposition and not worry about anything else,” Shastri said on the ICC review show. “The last thing you want is him to be in two minds whether to defend or attack. In his case, it should be attack. He picks up length quickly, he should take the opposition on at that number.”
“Because if he gets away in the first 10-15 minutes, in any way, he’s not got past that 15-20 minutes, half an hour. So why don’t you play a natural game, go and take the attack to the opposition and take it from there? Because I think that is his best way of not just coming back into form, winning a game for India as well,” Shastri added.
“Because that number is a crucial number. The best No.6s in the world are the guys who know how to have the ability to counter-attack. They read the situation well. Yes, if a lot of wickets have fallen, maybe for a little while. You might have to be circumspect, but the intent has to be far sooner than later. Especially when you have that kind of ability and especially when you open the batting for India and you have all the shots for Australian conditions.”
Rohit has taken up a middle-order spot for the first time since 2018, when he used to be seen as an aggressive option. Shastri was one of many pundits who wanted him to go back to the top of the order after India lost at Adelaide by 10 wickets but doesn’t want that anymore after seeing KL Rahul’s brilliant opening performances.
“I would have asked him (Rohit) to open in the last Test match but then the way Rahul has batted, I mean he was a joy to watch and the way he’s batting, I believe he struck a purple patch. It could be a position he might just want to keep and enhance the way he’s playing because his technique was faultless. The way he left the ball, the way he allowed the ball to come onto the bat, I mean some of his cover drives were as good as any played by anyone in world cricket at the moment.”
“And so I think when there’s that much confidence there, you know, let it be. I would like to see Rohit Sharma, his tactics change a bit because he can still be extremely dangerous at that number (six),” Shastri concluded.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – IANS)
