New Delhi: India skipper Rohit Sharma’s dismal batting form is affecting his captaincy in Australia, according to former teammates Harbhajan Singh and Cheteshwar Pujara.
Rohit has only one half-century in his last 12 Test innings, which includes eight single-digit scores, and batting in the middle order in the second Test brought no respite for the opener, who managed three and a six in Adelaide.
Rohit missed India’s comprehensive win in the opening Test in Perth to care for his newborn son, and commentators found his captaincy in Adelaide, where Australia prevailed by 10 wickets, rather defensive.
“No matter how big a player is, he is always worried about his performance,” former India player Singh told Star Sports.
“There is no doubt that when a player scores goals, he takes better decisions. Let’s hope Rohit Sharma scores some goals so that his captaincy improves.”
Pujara, who was player of the series when India became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia in 2018-19, said getting some runs under his belt could turn Rohit into a more proactive captain.
“When a captain is out of form, it affects the captaincy as well,” Pujara told the radio. He also advised Rohit, who is a natural striker, to avoid risks early in his bat.
“He is going through a bad situation. But even then the start is very important for him,” Pujara said.
“He should focus on getting the first 20 or 30 points consistently. After that, he can take the start and turn it into a big score.”
KL Rahul has opened for India in the first two Tests but may return to the middle order for the rest of the series with Rohit regaining the opening slot alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.
The third Test begins in Brisbane on Saturday.