"Captaincy has a direct impact" - Former selector makes huge statement on Rohit Sharma on Day 2 of BGT 2024-25 4th Test

Australia v India - Men
Australia v India - Men's 4th Test Match: Day 1 - Source: Getty

Former India selector MSK Prasad launched a scathing rant against Rohit Sharma's captaincy in the ongoing Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The Men in Blue are hapless at the moment after conceding over 450 runs in the first innings and are attracting blame from all corners for their selection and tactics.

Pressure was heavy on Rohit Sharma even before he arrived in Australia. Jasprit Bumrah, leading India to a historic 295-run win in Perth, was favored to lead the side in the remainder of the series as well. Since the skipper's arrival, India have not fared well, which includes below-par performances in Adelaide and Brisbane.

The Men in Blue put out an unorthodox combination for the fourth Test. Batter Shubman Gill was dropped while three all-rounders, including two spinners, made it to the playing XI.

Rohit Sharma's defensive approach allowing Australian batters to settle in, and the manner with which he has rotated his bowlers have copped a lot of criticism. MSK Prasad pointed out how the poor captaincy is affecting the team directly.

“Captaincy has a direct impact on the performance of the team. Unfortunately, Rohit hasn’t been proactive and is struggling. When Sam Konstas was blazing all guns, he continued with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj for 11 overs instead of turning to someone else," MSK Prasad said on Star Sports during commentary (via CricToday)

The former selector also remarked how captains have led from the front in Australia, citing Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane as examples. However, Rohit Sharma has been struggling with the bat, playing in the middle-order and scoring just 19 runs in two Tests so far.

“His batting has been ordinary since the Test series against New Zealand, and he landed in Australia with no form under his belt. If you look at the last two series we won in Australia, Virat Kohli led from the front on the first occasion. When we were bowled out for 36 in Adelaide in the last series, Ajinkya Rahane revived the team with a brilliant hundred at the Melbourne Cricket Ground,” MSK Prasad added

Australia stretched their first-innings score to 474, negating all the work India did in the final session of the opening day to claw their way back into the match.

Rohit Sharma has a chance to lead from the front after returning to the top of the order

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri had mentioned earlier during the series that it is important for Rohit Sharma to open the innings eventually. The team could use some inspiration from the skipper leading from the front. After a couple of poor outings at No.6, Rohit has promoted himself up the order and has a chance to relieve some of the pressure.

The revamped batting order has Rohit Sharma opening the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal, while KL Rahul has been slotted at No.3.

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer
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