"Pakistan were down and out at that stage" - Gautam Gambhir criticizes Rohit Sharma for his dismissal in India vs Pakistan Asia Cup Super 4 clash

Gautam Gambhir has criticized Rohit Sharma for getting dismissed by playing an ill-judged shot in the Asia Cup 2023 Super Four clash between India and Pakistan.

Rohit scored a 49-ball 56 as India posted 147/2 in 24.1 overs before rain brought an end to the day's proceedings in Colombo on Sunday, September 10. The game will be continued from the same position on Monday, the reserve day.

While reviewing the day's play on Star Sports, Gambhir opined that Rohit would be castigating himself for his dismissal. He reasoned:

"I feel he will be extremely disappointed. The way Rohit Sharma got out, it was an extremely bad shot. He himself knows that shot deserves to be criticized because Pakistan were down and out at that stage."

The cricketer-turned-politician pointed out that the Indian skipper's dismissal gave Babar Azam and Co. the chance to come back into the game. He explained:

"At one point, it seemed India might score 370-375. Rohit Sharma played a bad shot and Shubman Gill got out in the very next over. You don't want to give even the slightest window to a bowling attack like Pakistan."

Rohit and Shubman Gill strung together a 121-run opening-wicket partnership before the former chipped a Shadab Khan delivery to Faheem Ashraf at long-off. Gill was then deceived by a Shaheen Shah Afridi slower ball and he ended up offering a tame catch to Agha Salman at cover.

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"He would have given you one or two bad balls every over" - Gautam Gambhir on Shadab Khan's struggles against Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma took Shadab Khan to the cleaners before his dismissal. [P/C: Twitter]

Gautam Gambhir was even more disappointed about Rohit Sharma throwing away his wicket against Shadab Khan. He elaborated:

"You gave a window and you played that shot against the bowler you had hit for 30 runs in two overs. If it had been a bowler who had been bowling well, it would have been alright as you were under pressure. If you had just stood there, he would have given you one or two bad balls every over."

The former Indian opener pointed out that Rohit was neither trying to take a single nor trying to play a big shot. He observed:

"If you get out while trying to hit properly, you say that you were trying to hit a six, but here, you were neither trying to take a single nor to hit a four or a six. He scored a fifty for sure and gave a good start, but if you see from Rohit Sharma and the Indian team's perspective, it was an extremely bad shot."

Shadab conceded 31 runs in his first two overs, with Rohit hitting him for three sixes and two fours. The Indian skipper's dismissal allowed him to bounce back as he finished the day with more respectable figures of 1/45 in 6.1 overs.